The reasons that teeth hurt so much is due to the large number of nerve endings that “sense” what happens inside our teeth and the position of the nerve endings inside the tooth and in the gum around it.

The nerve endings inside our teeth are a part of the tooth pulp. The pulp is confined in a hard shell which is the tooth. Once the bacteria reach the pulp they cause an inflammation, which leads to the pulp being swollen and more sensitive. Having this in the small confines of the tooth leads to an increase in pressure and pain, leading to more inflammation, which in a vicious cycle leads to more pain. The outcome is a very strong pulsating pain, which many times keep us awake at night. At times, the pain goes away after a while without treatment since the bacteria manage to kill all the pulp tissue and the nerves included. But this is a short lived respite since the bacteria soon reach the tip of the root to cause an abscess which hurts and can cause swelling that lead to more dire consequences when the bacteria reach the blood stream.

The best treatment for a tooth emergency is to prevent it by coming for a examination. This way I can stop the disease before it progresses and causes pain.