Pain that wakes you at night, or pain with swelling, deserves to be seen the same day rather than waited out.
Call (203) 869-2884Tooth pain
Toothache in Greenwich, CT: what it usually means
A toothache is not one problem. Where it hurts, what sets it off, and how long it lasts each point toward a different cause, and each cause calls for a different treatment. We take the time to work out which one is yours.
How urgent is it?
Same day
Pain that wakes you at night, or pain with swelling, deserves to be seen the same day rather than waited out.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
Decay reaching the nerve
A cavity that has worked past the enamel begins to irritate the nerve inside the tooth. This is the ache that starts with sweets and cold, then gradually begins arriving on its own.
02
A cracked or flexing tooth
A sharp jab when you bite down on something firm, gone the moment you let go, usually points to a crack that opens slightly under load.
03
An old filling that has failed
Decay creeping in underneath a filling placed years ago is invisible to you at home, but it shows up clearly on a radiograph.
04
Pressure from a sinus or a clenching habit
Upper back teeth can ache because of a sinus, and any tooth can ache after a jaw has been clenched through a hard week.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Take the anti-inflammatory you would normally take for a headache, on the label's schedule, unless your physician has told you otherwise.
- 02
Keep the tooth clean and brush it gently even if it is sore. Food packed against an inflamed tooth tends to make the ache worse.
- 03
Sleep with your head raised. Throbbing that gets worse lying flat is often a pressure signal.
- 04
Please do not put aspirin, clove oil, or heat directly on the gum. It can burn the tissue and hide the very symptom we need to read.
What we would do
At the appointment
We start by asking you to point to the tooth, then test it with cold and gentle pressure to find out whether the nerve is inflamed or already failing. That distinction shapes everything that follows.
A single radiograph shows us what is happening under the filling and around the root, and most toothaches are diagnosed within fifteen minutes.
If the nerve is still healthy, cleaning out the decay and restoring the tooth usually ends the pain. If the nerve cannot be saved, root canal treatment keeps the tooth in place. We explain which one applies to you, along with the cost, before we begin.
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
Yes, and sooner rather than later. Pain that disappears after several bad days often means the nerve has died rather than healed. The tooth has gone quiet, but the problem has not, and it usually returns as swelling.
Call us first thing and we will do everything we can to fit you in the same day. We keep room in the schedule for exactly this kind of visit, and if we are genuinely full, we will tell you honestly and help you find same-day care.
Wherever it is safe to, we treat it at that visit. Being sent home with antibiotics and a second appointment should be the exception rather than the routine.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.