May 11, 2021

Alternatively pain may be more diffuse or dull and lingering for hours. The tooth is tender to press or tap. If the tooth is loose there could be a gum infection.
Bacteria are usually to blame for a toothache. Whether they have entered the tooth via a crack, a leak in the filling, or from dental decay, once they are near the pulp, the tooth will ache. There are degrees of aching:

Pain to eating – Food or sugar or drinks cause the pain, but the pain goes away quickly. Bacteria feed on sugar and carbohydrates. If there are gaps or holes in the tooth where food can get stuck, decay can occur. The sooner the bacteria can be removed and a filling placed, the better the chances that the tooth can recover. The lower the pain level, the better the chance of a successful filling. If the bacteria are too far into the tooth, the pulp will become inflamed and no amount of filling will save the tooth. Sometimes a filling is placed to wait and see if the tooth recovers. If pain persists, see your dentist.

Pain to cold – Cold water (no sugar)
Cold sensations is the body’s way of letting you know there is a problem. If the reason is a loss of enamel on several teeth, the diagnosis would be sensitivity.

Teeth can also become cold sensitive when the nerve is traumatised – either from dental decay, leaking filling or a cracked tooth. There is a good chance the dentist can save the tooth because a cold reaction is a mild symptom. The news is not so good for hot reactions.

Pain to hot – Foods or drinks
When the pulp of the tooth becomes infected, it can either be an intense pain requiring pain killers, or it can be a more dull, diffuse pain. The reaction to hot is believed to relate to an expansion of gas that may be trapped inside the pulp. As the gas expands it pressurizes the nerve and creates pain. Gas could come from the bacteria trapped inside the tooth. These bacteria will need removing – either by venting the tooth and cleaning out the pulp canal, or by removing the tooth completely.