Phantom Tooth Ache

There’s only one good thing about a visibly damaged tooth: it is clear where the pain’s coming from and where our response should most likely be focused. Complaints of “tooth pain” without a clear source or origin is more challenging to diagnose.

You’ve been good with your hygiene, faithful in your checkups but you wake up one morning with a vague pain. You can’t see a crack or cavity, but something’s just not right. A morning toothache might not even come from the damage. It could be the aftermath of all-night grinding (bruxism) and is usually treatable with a simple sleeping appliance.

Sometimes after a new filling or crown, there’s a lingering sensitivity to hot or cold. It should disappear after a few days. If not, another look may be in order. Almost always, we can detect and correct even microscopic cracks. But (as is the case with the rest of your body) there can be “pain phantoms” which come and go for reasons unknown. If it can’t be located and identified, it is difficult to teat. Thankfully, we see very few of those.