Symptoms, explained
Tooth pain: what it’s trying to tell you
Pain is information. When it starts, how long it lasts, and what sets it off all point to the cause. Here’s how we read the pattern — and how we fix it, starting with the gentlest option.
This page can’t diagnose you. Two different problems can cause the same pain. The tests in the chair — a cold test, a gentle tap, an X-ray — make the call. You’re not expected to know what’s causing it. That’s our job. This page just helps you understand what you’re feeling and what to expect.
The good news up front: most painful teeth can still be saved, especially when they’re seen early.
Toothache right now? We keep same-day slots — and we answer.
Call nowA quick zing with cold or sweet things — gone in a second
A short, sharp zing with cold water or something sweet, over in a second. This usually means the tooth is still alive and healthy inside — it’s just being irritated. Common causes: early decay, an old filling that’s leaking, or an exposed root surface near the gum (a very common reason for a sensitive tooth).
Caught here, this is the cheap, easy end of dentistry:
- Sometimes we just remove what’s irritating it — a desensitising toothpaste, fluoride varnish, or a small adjustment to a filling.
- If there’s decay: a normal filling.
- If the decay is deep, we place a protective dressing over the living part of the tooth so it can recover — dentists call this a pulp cap. Sometimes that dressing sits on a thin layer of tooth we deliberately leave behind; sometimes it goes directly onto a small exposed spot of nerve. Either way the aim is the same: keep the nerve alive and avoid a root canal.
What you should do
Book a routine appointment in the next week or two. If the pain starts lasting longer, or comes on by itself, contact us sooner.
An ache that lingers, throbs, or wakes you at night
Does hot or cold set off pain that hangs around for minutes? Does the tooth throb on its own — especially at night, or when you lie down? That means the nerve inside is inflamed past the point of settling by itself. If painkillers are only taking the edge off, and you can’t quite tell *which* tooth it is, that fits the same picture.
This is usually the stage where people tell us they’re exhausted because they haven’t slept properly. The good news: we can normally relieve this pain quickly — usually the same day. That means numbing the tooth and taking the pressure off the nerve inside — and often that first visit is already a large part of the treatment.
Being straight with you: this kind of severe tooth pain doesn’t fix itself. And antibiotics usually won’t solve it, because the problem is inside the tooth — there’s no infection for them to reach. The tooth itself needs treatment:
- A pulpotomy removes only the inflamed top part of the nerve and seals a healing material over what’s left, so the living part of the nerve stays. Where a tooth suits it, this is the smaller, gentler way to keep it.
- Root canal treatment cleans and seals the inside of the tooth so you keep it. Back teeth then need a protective cover (an onlay or crown) to last.(from R3,500)
- Extraction if the tooth can’t be saved, or you choose not to — with an honest conversation about what, if anything, should replace it.
What you should do
Contact us today — this is what our same-day emergency slots are for. You don’t have to white-knuckle a weekend.
Hot drinks set it off — but cold actually soothes it
The classic “I carry a cold water bottle everywhere” story. This is a late-stage nerve. Treating it brings near-immediate relief. The options are the same as above: root canal to keep the tooth, extraction if it’s beyond saving.
What you should do
Contact us today. Same-day relief is usually possible here.
It hurts when you bite or chew
Pain when chewing can happen for a few different reasons:
- a filling sitting slightly high (a five-minute adjustment)
- a cracked tooth (protected with a cover before the crack grows)
- an infection around the root (root canal territory)
Telling them apart is exactly what the bite test and X-ray are for.
One small detail helps us narrow it down: if the sharp pain comes as you let go after biting, tell us. That often points to a crack.
What you should do
Book within the next few days, and chew on the other side until then. A crack caught early can usually be saved; one that spreads sometimes can’t.
Swelling, a bad taste, feeling feverish — different rules apply
A ballooning gum, a swollen face from a tooth infection, a foul taste, a tooth that feels “too tall” to bite on: that’s an abscess. The fix is drainage at the source — not a prescription of antibiotics on its own. Antibiotics can back the treatment up when an infection is spreading, but by themselves they only buy time. We keep same-day emergency slots for exactly this.
What you should do
Contact us the same day — even if the pain eases when the swelling bursts. The infection is still there.
Go to an emergency department NOW — don’t wait for us — if you have: swelling under the tongue or into the neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, an eye swelling shut, or rapidly spreading facial swelling with fever. These are medical emergencies first and dental problems second.
What it costs
Every price above is a genuine “starting from” for the straightforward case. We quote before we treat — always. If you’re on a medical aid, we claim directly: you pay only co-payments and anything your plan doesn’t cover or has already used up.
On a medical aid? See what your scheme’s published benefits say — and we confirm with a benefit check before treatment.
Not sure which pattern is yours?
Tell us what you’re feeling — we’ll take it from there.