🌃 What Causes a Toothache at Night?

What Are the Common Causes of Toothache at Night?

It’s a common situation – you are in bed with the lights turned off, all ready to go to sleep, when suddenly, your mouth starts to experience a severe, sharp, and aching pain. Why does this happen?

Believe it or not, toothaches at night are much more common than you think. And no, you are not the only one. Below are the most likely causes of such occurrences:

• Untreated Cavities: These result from tiny cavities in your teeth, which are caused by the action of the bacteria. If not intervened, these tiny holes will continue to expand and, in the end, they can be the reason for the tooth’s nerves.
• Abscessed Teeth: The condition refers to a very serious infection in the inner part of the teeth. It is often a very painful experience, which includes redness, swelling, and heat, which can cause a toothache at night if you are already asleep.
• Gum Infections (Gingivitis or Periodontitis): Inflamed gums can also make nearby teeth feel sore or loose.
• Cracked or Fractured Teeth: A tooth that is cracked, even the tiny one that you do not see, could be the entrance for the layers inside the tooth, which are sensitive, to be exposed.
• Food Trapped Between Teeth or Under the Gums: That piece of popcorn you didn’t floss out? Yeah, it could be the villain behind your midnight misery.
• Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Rhythmic teeth clenching can create pressure against the teeth, leading to their gradual destruction while the person is asleep.

Regardless of the detailed symptoms, a night toothache serves as a warning signal in any case. Your body is signaling to you that something is amiss – hence, the smart call would be to act on the advice.

Why Does a Toothache Worsen at Night?

Can we get technical for a moment?

Pain is always the worst when there is no sound or light around. When everything is still, the pain is the only thing you can feel, and a big, bright red tooth won’t let you forget it.

It’s more than that, though:

• Blood Flow Increases When You Lie Down: All this added blood rushes to your head, exerting pressure on a place that is already warm and also might be infected.
• Saliva Production Slows Down at Night: When saliva can’t cleanse the mouth, it becomes a perfect environment for bacteria to spread and grow, thus getting even worse.
• No Pain Relievers in Your System: You will be all alone to fight the pain if you have used nothing before bedtime.
• Jaw Pressure and Teeth Clenching: Most of the time, people have a bad habit of clenching their teeth while they are asleep. That is basically extra tension, which will intensify the pain a tooth already has.

In summary, there are quite a few things that can cause you to be in much worse shape than when you’re lying on your bed suffering from abscesses, cavities, or night teeth grinding.

How Can I Prevent a Toothache at Night?

Exploring good ways to stop nighttime toothaches from the word go. Are the following the actions people should take?

Furthermore, you can say that getting in the habit of brushing and flossing will not only provide for the elimination of food particles and the removal of plaque but also kill the harmful bacteria that cause toothache.

Furthermore, the elements that you are looking for are the sole providers of the action that supports the enamel in the fight against agents of tooth decay. They will also be the alternatives to a future resurgence of the plague.

If you assimilate them as part of your nighttime ritual, it will mean that sugar and acid will not have a chance to wreak havoc on your teeth unless you use your midnight cravings and the fridge as the conduit for your stolen items.

Moreover, if you drink a glass of water right after eating, you automatically prevent the damage that sugars and acids could have caused to your teeth before they are gone.

Specially designed for your jaw by your dental specialist, a mouthguard would be an ideal solution while you sleep.

And to support your argument, let us discover this statement, which gives us the reasons we should regularly visit dental care centers, including the benefits for our health and our pockets. The point is that the removal of the root causes of the disease is the timely treatment done with the technical skill of a dentist, which contributes highly to getting new teeth rather than to making repeat trips to one.

Nevertheless, for those individuals seeking a higher grade of treatment, Leonard Dental Clinic, located in the Turkish city of Istanbul, could be the answer they are looking for as it offers dental services of the highest quality.

What Makes One Have Toothaches When You Wake Up in the Morning?

That moment when you open your eyes and experience extreme pain in your tooth is the beginning of a day that no one would wish for.

If you suddenly have such a pain, it can be related to one of the following issues:

• Nighttime Grinding: While asleep, the act of grinding your teeth is a cause of the pressure that is placed on your teeth’s nerves. The fact that you don’t know is also usual.
• Open Mouth During Night Sleep: Sleep that leads to dry mouth is not only unpopular with the respiratory system, but also with good bacteria. Worse still, you will have a sore mouth to deal with when you wake up.
• Receding Gums or Infections: These deformations often go unnoticed, as the pain may not be directly caused by the changes in temperature or pressure.
• Cavity That Was Not Treated the Night Before: While the pain was not too heavy and let you have a dream, it did not stay underground and suddenly burst out during the night. That is, it could be the ultimate source of the pain in the selected tooth.
• Sinus Pressure: The irritation to the sinuses can indeed send the signal of upper tooth pain, more so when lying in a horizontal position and after having rested for a certain period.

It is not about your pain in itself; it is your mouth that is communicating with you. People experience toothaches in the morning as a sign that makes them pick up the phone and call the dentist as quickly as possible.

Home Remedies for Toothache at Night

There are times when all you need is a solution that will tide you over the night. These remedies can help with that task as they are capable of not only reducing the pain but also being a good alternative before you consult a professional:

• Saltwater Rinse: This natural antiseptic simply requires a glass of warm water to which a teaspoon of salt is added, for swishing and rinsing. It’s inexpensive, entirely safe, and it’s the perfect way to minimize bacteria and edema.
• Clove Oil: A little dot of clove oil on the infected spot with a cotton swab can numb the area and kill germs.
• Cold Compress: Apply the cold pack to the painful side of your face for 15-20 minutes. The swelling gets reduced, and the pain is diminished this way.
• Elevating the Head: Add one more cushion to your head so you will not retain blood in the mouth and consequently, the pain will not abound.
• Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers: Ibuprofen is more effective in relieving both pain and inflammation at the same time. H in a glass of water, for rinsing. It’s cost-effective, completely safe, and through it, the bacteria and the flaming can be greatly reduced.

⚠️ Important Note: These are only very simple measures that are not intended to replace a dentist’s visit. Antibiotics, opening the tooth to remove pus, or a root canal may be required if you have an abscessed tooth. Do not hesitate to call for help!

Not Always the Best: Why Natural Teeth Need a Reality Check

Let us be very candid and straightforward about it: not every real tooth is a healthy one. The reason is, good teeth are not always the ones that have had no fillings or crowns, as they can happen to be frail, not straight, or with an internal infection.

It is a fact that many people who have “natural” teeth are suffering from diseases that occur recurrently, twisted grins, and are in chronic pain. Consequently, through modern methods, people now have access to the most advanced dentistry gadgets and procedures that can perfect their appearance, not just make them live.

Such techniques include Hollywood Smile makeovers, porcelain veneers, and dental implants, and the clinic team of Lema Dental in Istanbul does them all to provide patients with the perfect smile they never ever thought they could have.

You are more likely to be unhappy with your smile, experience persistent headaches, or suffer from some of the other conditions mentioned above if you are using Lema Dental Clinic’s dental care, and a dental professional will give you the necessary guidance.

FAQ: What Causes a Toothache at Night?