Common symptoms
- • Sharp pain to cold that disappears within a few seconds
- • Sensitivity to sweet foods
- • No pain when you are not eating or drinking
- • Pain you can usually pinpoint to one tooth
- • Sleep is not disturbed by the pain
Likely causes
- • Tooth decay approaching the nerve
- • A leaking or recently placed filling
- • Exposed root surfaces from gum recession or heavy brushing
- • A crack or chip in the enamel
- • Tooth wear from grinding or acidic drinks
What can help tonight
- • Use a sensitivity toothpaste twice daily and rub some on the tooth at bedtime
- • Avoid very cold and very sweet food and drink for now
- • Brush gently with a soft brush and do not rinse after brushing
- • Take pain relief as directed on the packet if needed
- • Get the underlying cause treated rather than waiting it out
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Always follow the advice given to you by your dentist.
When it's an emergency
- • Facial swelling spreading towards your eye or neck
- • Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- • Severe constant pain with fever and feeling very unwell
If any of these apply to you, call 999 or attend A&E now. Outside these signs, NHS 111 can advise out of hours.
What a ToothAid dentist can do online
The pattern of your pain is the most important clue, and that is something a dentist can explore well over video. They can tell you whether your symptoms sound reversible, advise on desensitising measures, and set out how urgently you need treatment.
What needs in-person treatment
Saving the nerve means removing the cause — usually a filling, a replacement restoration or treating exposed root surfaces. That needs an in-person appointment, and often an X-ray.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from irreversible pulpitis?
In reversible pulpitis, pain stops as soon as the trigger is removed. If pain lingers for minutes, comes on by itself or wakes you at night, the nerve is likely irreversibly inflamed.
Will the nerve recover?
Often yes, if the decay or leaking filling is treated promptly. Left alone, reversible pulpitis commonly progresses to irreversible pulpitis.
Do I need root canal treatment?
Not for reversible pulpitis. Root canal treatment is needed when the nerve can no longer recover.
Does sensitivity toothpaste actually help?
It can reduce sensitivity noticeably over two to four weeks, but it does not treat decay or a failing filling.