Why Does My Tooth Hurt When I Bite?
Does one tooth hurt when you bite down?
Maybe you feel a quick, sharp pain while eating, but then it goes away.
Don’t ignore it just because the pain stops.
A cracked tooth can cause pain that comes and goes. Finding the problem early may give us more options to protect and save your tooth.
At Pomona Smile Studio, Dr. Juddy Lin can check your tooth, find out what’s causing the pain, and explain what you can do next.
How Do I Know If I Have a Cracked Tooth?
A cracked tooth doesn’t always look broken.
You may look in the mirror and see nothing wrong.
Instead, you may notice:
- A sharp pain when you bite
- Pain when you let go after biting
- One tooth that hurts when chewing
- Sensitivity to cold or hot drinks
- Sensitivity to sweets
- Tenderness or swelling around one tooth
- Pain that comes and goes
Does this sound familiar?
Maybe you’ve even started chewing on the other side because one tooth just doesn’t feel right.
That’s a good reason to have it checked.
Why Does My Tooth Hurt When I Bite?
When you bite down, pressure is placed on your tooth.
If there is a crack, that pressure can cause the cracked area to move slightly and bother the sensitive part inside your tooth.
That’s why you may suddenly feel:
“OUCH!”
Then a few minutes later, everything seems normal again.
Pain that comes and goes can be easy to ignore.
But if the same tooth keeps hurting when you chew, it’s trying to tell you something isn’t right.
How Did My Tooth Crack?
Sometimes you know exactly what happened.
Other times, you may have no idea.
A tooth can crack from:
- Biting ice
- Hard foods
- Hard candy
- Grinding your teeth
- Clenching your teeth
- An accident or injury
- A large or older filling
- Wear and stress over time
You don’t need to know how the crack happened before coming in.
That’s our job to figure out.
Will a Cracked Tooth Heal on Its Own?
Unfortunately, a cracked tooth cannot grow back together on its own.
But that does NOT automatically mean you’re going to lose your tooth.
Many cracked teeth can still be treated.
What we can do depends on where the crack is, how deep it goes, and how much of the tooth is still healthy.
That’s why having the tooth checked sooner can make a difference.
Can My Cracked Tooth Be Saved?
Many cracked teeth can be treated, especially when the problem is found before the tooth becomes badly damaged.
Treatment is different for every tooth.
Dr. Lin may recommend something such as a filling or a dental crown to protect the weakened tooth.
Think of a crown like a strong cover that goes over the tooth to help protect it.
If the crack has reached deeper inside the tooth, you may need additional treatment.
We won’t expect you to understand a bunch of dental words.
We’ll show you what we find, explain what it means, and talk about your options.
What Happens If I Wait?
This is where a small problem can become a bigger problem.
A crack may get worse over time.
Bacteria can also get deeper into a damaged tooth and cause inflammation or infection.
If the crack becomes too severe, there may come a point when the tooth can no longer be saved.
Our goal is simple:
Find the problem while we still have good options.
You don’t need to wait until the tooth hurts all day.
My Tooth Stopped Hurting. Do I Still Need to Have It Checked?
This is a common question.
If your tooth hurt once after biting something unusually hard, it doesn’t automatically mean you have a cracked tooth.
But pay attention if:
- The same tooth keeps hurting
- The pain keeps coming back
- It hurts when you bite or chew
- The tooth becomes sensitive
- You’re avoiding chewing on that side
- You notice swelling around the tooth
Pain going away doesn’t tell us what caused the pain.
If it keeps happening, let us take a look.
What Will Dr. Lin Do?
First, we’ll listen.
Tell us where it hurts, what makes it hurt, and how long it’s been happening.
Dr. Lin will examine your tooth and the area around it to look for the cause.
If we find a problem, we’ll show you what we see.
Then we’ll explain your options in simple words.
No guessing about what’s happening.
No confusing dental language.
We want you to understand what’s happening with your tooth so you can decide what you want to do next.
Tooth Hurts When You Bite? Let’s Find Out Why.
Have you been telling yourself:
“It’s probably nothing.”
“I’ll wait until it hurts more.”
“It stopped hurting, so I think I’m okay.”
You don’t have to wait until your tooth becomes an emergency.
If something doesn’t feel right, let’s find out why.
Schedule a Cracked Tooth Evaluation in Pomona, CA
At Pomona Smile Studio, Dr. Juddy Lin and our team can check the tooth and help you understand what is happening.
The sooner we know what’s causing the pain, the sooner we can talk about your options for protecting your tooth.
Pomona Smile Studio
Dr. Juddy Lin, DMD
Call: 909-620-6066