Diseases

An aching pain in or around a tooth, also known as odontalgia.

Organ or part of body involved: Teeth
Symptoms and indications: The severity of a toothache can range from a mild discomfort to excruciating pain (more common in the second molars, esp on the left mandible), which can be experienced either chronically or sporadically. This pain can often be aggravated somewhat by chewing or by hot or cold temperature.
Causes and risk factors: In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as cavities, gum disease, the emergence of wisdom teeth, a marginally cracked tooth, infected dental pulp (necessitating root canal treatment or extraction of the tooth), jaw disease, or exposed tooth root. Causes of a toothache may also be a symptom of diseases of the heart, such as angina or a myocardial infarction, due to referred pain.