Six signs a tooth needs an endodontist’s attention

Teeth give fair warning before they fail. Learning the language saves pain, money and, often, the tooth. Here are six signs worth acting on, in roughly the order they appear.

1. Sensitivity that lingers

A brief twinge from ice cream is common and usually harmless. Pain that continues for half a minute or more after the cold has gone, or that a hot drink provokes, suggests the nerve is inflamed beyond recovery. Note which foods trigger it and how long it lasts; that detail is useful at your consultation.

2. Pain that arrives uninvited

Healthy teeth hurt only when something touches them. A tooth that starts aching on its own, throbs in time with your pulse or wakes you at night is telling you the pulp is dying. Lying down increases blood pressure in the head, which is why nights are worst.

3. Tenderness on biting

Pain when you bite or tap the tooth means inflammation has reached the ligament around the root — usually because the nerve has died and infection has followed. A sharp, brief pain on biting that disappears on release points instead to a crack, which has its own urgency.

4. A swelling or a spot on the gum

A pimple-like spot beside the root that discharges, deflates and returns is a sinus tract: the body’s drain for an abscess. It rarely hurts, which is exactly why it is ignored. Swelling of the gum, cheek or lip is the same process without a drain and should be seen promptly.

5. A tooth that has changed colour

A grey or brownish tooth, often one that was knocked years ago, usually contains a nerve that died quietly. It may never hurt, yet the canal space can harbour infection. An X-ray and a nerve test settle the question.

6. Toothache that “got better”

Pain that stops suddenly after days of misery feels like good news. More often the nerve has died and the pain will return as an abscess, weeks or months later. A quiet tooth with a history like this deserves a check.

What to do

Contact your dentist or the practice directly — no referral is needed. A tooth pain consultation confirms which tooth is responsible and whether treatment is needed. If pain is severe or there is a swelling, say so when you get in touch; see emergency endodontic care for advice until you are seen.