What Toothache Tells You
The character of the pain largely determines what the treatment will be.
Brief pain triggered by a stimulus
Pain that starts with cold, heat or sweet and stops within seconds is usually due to exposed dentine — recession, thinned enamel, a leaking filling margin or early decay. Treatment at this stage is simple and the tooth stays vital.
Lingering and spontaneous pain
Pain lingering for minutes, arising spontaneously and worsening at night and when lying down indicates pulpitis. It worsens lying down because head blood pressure rises and pressure increases in a closed space. Painkillers are not the answer here.
Other types of pain and what they mean
- Sharp pain on releasing a bite → cracked tooth
- Constant pain on biting with a raised feeling → periapical infection
- Swelling on the gum with a bad taste → abscess
- Pressure pain when food impacts → interproximal decay or open contact
- Diffuse pain in several teeth → may be sinus-related
- Morning jaw pain with headache → night-time clenching
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Gunes
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Gunes.
Getting here from Gunes
Güneş lies in the Kepez district of Antalya; Kepez is one of the central districts, about 6 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Gunes, such as Çamlıbel, Emek, Gaziler, Kanal. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Gunes.
Appointments for Gunes
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Güneş, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Kepez generally, appointments for families from Gunes can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Gunes
Setting out from Güneş at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Gunes, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
How Local Anaesthesia Works and Why It Sometimes Fails
A local anaesthetic temporarily stops a nerve cell transmitting pain signals. Because the signal does not reach the brain no pain is felt, while touch and pressure partly remain.
Why pressure is still felt
Pain and pressure are carried by different fibre types. The anaesthetic affects the thin pain fibres more readily, while the thicker pressure fibres are more resistant. Feeling pushing, vibration and pressure during a procedure is therefore expected and does not mean the anaesthetic has failed. Knowing this distinction markedly reduces anxiety.
Reasons it may not work
The most common:
- Active inflammation: the acidic environment reduces its effect
- Anatomical variation: the nerve running differently from expected
- Accessory nerve branches, particularly in the lower molar region
- Anxiety: it lowers the pain threshold so every sensation reads as pain
- Not waiting long enough — the effect takes minutes to establish
What is done when it fails
Say so first of all; enduring it is neither necessary nor right. Options include an additional dose, a different injection technique, and anaesthesia into the ligament or directly into the tooth. Where inflammation is very active, drainage may be done first and the procedure deferred to another appointment. No procedure is continued while pain is being felt.
