Why Does My Toothache Hurt More Before Bed?

If you have a toothache, it can be hard for the pain not to completely dominate your focus. You might have even noticed that your toothache gets more uncomfortable at night, making it hard to sleep.

As it turns out, you may not be imagining it. There are a few reasons why your teeth could be hurting more while you’re lying in bed. Even after you call your dentist about an emergency appointment, you may have to try and get some sleep before you see them. If you’re wondering, here’s why lying down could make the discomfort from your toothache more intense.

Fewer Distractions

One reason toothaches are more uncomfortable before bed could have to do with your mental state. When you’re up and around, focusing on work or distracted by a hobby, you may almost forget that you have a toothache.

On the other hand, when you’re lying in bed trying to relax, you don’t have anything else to take your mind off of what you’re feeling. As a result, you may feel your toothache more acutely than you would during the day.

Blood Flow

A lot of the time, tooth pain comes from inflammation in a damaged or infected tooth. One thing that can make that inflammation worse is an increase in blood flow to the mouth.

When you’re sitting or standing during the day, blood has to fight gravity to reach your head. When you’re lying down, however, that isn’t the case. As a result, lying down may cause blood to rush to your head, worsening any discomfort you’re feeling as a result of oral inflammation.

Bruxism / Teeth Grinding

Millions of people grind their teeth unconsciously, often in their sleep. As a result, lots of people suffer from chronic bruxism and aren’t even aware of it.

Bruxism can irritate an aching tooth, so if you grind your teeth at night you may notice the discomfort from a toothache becomes more intense as you start to fall asleep.

If a toothache is giving you grief, you don’t have to suffer. Call your dentist and ask for an emergency appointment; they’ll try and relieve your discomfort as quickly as possible.

About Our Practice

 At Eco Dental Pearland, we’re proud to offer our patients a level of care that they won’t find anywhere else. We know that visiting the dentist can be stressful, which is why we work hard to make our patients as comfortable as possible when we see them. We also offer a wide variety of dental services under one roof so you don’t have to drive all around town to find the right dentist for your condition.

If you have any questions about a toothache, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (713) 436-5655.