A severe toothache is one of the most agonizing types of physical pain a person can experience. A throbbing, unrelenting toothache can keep you awake all night, make eating impossible, and radiate throughout your jaw, ear, and head. At BB Dental Care in Burbank, Dr. Bryanna Hubbard and our triage team prioritize patients in acute pain with prompt, gentle, same-day toothache relief.
Dental pain is an urgent biological distress signal indicating that bacteria, inflammation, or trauma have reached the sensitive internal nerve of your tooth. Our primary goal is always to eliminate your pain immediately, preserve your natural tooth whenever possible, and protect your systemic health.
Are You Experiencing Any of These Critical Warning Signs?
- Persistent, Throbbing Pain: A deep, rhythmic ache that intensifies when lying flat or during sleep.
- Lingering Sensitivity to Hot or Cold: A sharp jolt of pain that continues throbbing for minutes after removing coffee, ice water, or food.
- Facial, Cheek, or Gum Swelling: A visible pimple-like bump on the gum (fistula) or swelling along your jawline or cheek.
- Extreme Pain When Biting or Tapping: Inability to chew on that side due to inflammation surrounding the root tip in the bone.
- Fever or Foul Taste: An active bacterial infection leaking pus into the mouth, accompanied by systemic malaise.
Common Causes of Severe Toothaches
Deep Tooth Decay
A cavity that penetrated through outer enamel and dentin into the living pulp chamber, causing acute bacterial pulpitis.
Dental Abscess & Infection
A localized pocket of bacterial infection at the apex of the tooth root that creates intense bone pressure and swelling.
Cracked Tooth Syndrome
A hairline fracture extending through the tooth that flexes during chewing, irritating the underlying nerve.
Dying or Failing Nerve
Trauma from an old injury or a failing older restoration that causes internal nerve necrosis.
How We Diagnose and Eliminate Your Pain
When you arrive at our Burbank office in pain, we move quickly to get you comfortable:
- Targeted Digital X-Rays & 3D Imaging: Ultra-low-dose digital sensors immediately visualize the roots, bone density, and internal pulp chamber.
- Gentle Diagnostic Vitality Testing: Dr. Hubbard pinpoint-tests adjacent teeth to isolate the exact source of your pain.
- Immediate Anesthesia & Pressure Relief: We administer gentle, targeted local anesthesia so you feel immediate relief within minutes of sitting in the chair.
- Definitive Treatment: Depending on the diagnosis, Dr. Hubbard performs a gentle root canal therapy to remove the infected nerve, places a soothing sedative filling, or—if the tooth is hopelessly fractured—performs a gentle extraction with immediate bone preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While antibiotics can temporarily suppress bacterial spread, they cannot cure a tooth infection. Because blood flow inside a dying tooth has ceased, antibiotics traveling through your bloodstream cannot penetrate the inside of the tooth. Physical dental treatment (a root canal or extraction) is required to remove the bacterial source.
Yes. We hold dedicated daily emergency openings for patients suffering from acute dental pain. Call our office at (818) 256-3060 immediately to be seen today. We are also open on Saturdays from 8 AM to 5 PM.
An anti-inflammatory combination of ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) taken according to package directions is often the most effective over-the-counter pain protocol for dental inflammation. Never place aspirin directly against the gums, as it causes severe chemical burns.
If severe pain suddenly vanishes on its own, it usually means the nerve inside the tooth has died completely. However, the underlying bacterial infection is still active and multiplying in your jawbone. You must still see a dentist immediately to prevent bone loss or spreading facial cellulitis.