10/15/2026
It's only natural that people tell me about toothaches, given my line of work. What's noteworthy are the assumptions baked into what I hear. My patients sometimes hold misconceptions about tooth pain, ones that can harm smiles if left unchecked.
To keep these ideas from spreading, I thought I'd describe a few and explain why they're false. Simply read over the details for a better understanding of toothaches!
Having been a dentist for over 20 years, I’ve heard patients describe all sorts of ideas about toothaches. The most common ones are based less on fact, though, and more on rumors and gossip.