Emergency dental symptoms
Pain when biting: what a tooth that hurts to chew on is telling you
A tooth that is fine until you bite on something, then stabs, is one of the commonest reasons people ring us. The pattern of the pain, especially what happens when you let go, usually names the cause.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, Principal Dentist · GDC 301711 · Last reviewed April 2026
The four usual reasons biting hurts
Pain on biting comes from one of two places. Either the ligament around the root is inflamed, in which case the tooth aches under steady pressure and is tender to tap, or the tooth itself is cracked, in which case the two halves flex apart as you bite and snap back together as you release, and it is the snapping back that gives the sharp stab. Once you know which of those you have, the list of causes is short.
A cracked tooth.
Infection at the root tip.
A filling or crown that sits too high.
A broken cusp or filling.
Two others are worth ruling out. Food packed between two teeth inflames the gum and gives an ache that improves after flossing. And if several upper back teeth ache together, and the pain jolts when you run downstairs or bend forward, that is your sinus, not your teeth.
How quickly does bite pain need looking at?
Call today, seen within a few days.
Same day.
A&E.
Eating and managing until your appointment
- Chew on the other side, and stick to soft food. Seeds, nuts, crusty bread and boiled sweets are the classic crack-openers.
- Do not keep biting on the tooth to see whether it still hurts. Each test opens the crack a fraction further.
- Ibuprofen as directed on the packet, if you can take it, calms an inflamed ligament as well as the pain. Paracetamol alongside it if needed.
- If food is packing between the teeth, floss gently and rinse with warm salt water.
- If a piece of tooth or filling is moving, cover it with a temporary filling kit from a chemist to keep it still. More ideas are in our guide to temporary fixes before your appointment.
Finding the cause: the bite test and beyond
The emergency examination is £30 including X-rays and takes about 15 minutes. Cracks are the hardest thing in dentistry to see, so this is one appointment where the tests matter more than the X-ray.
We ask whether the pain is sharp or dull
Bite test.
Percussion.
Cold test.
Transillumination.
Bite check.
Digital X-ray.
Treatments for a tooth that hurts to bite on
- High filling or crown. Adjusted in a few minutes with a polishing bur. The ache usually goes within a day or two.
- Cracked tooth with a healthy nerve. A crown, because a crown wraps the tooth and holds the halves together, whereas a filling sits between them and wedges them apart. We fit a temporary crown first, which also confirms the pain stops once the tooth is braced.
- Crack that has reached the nerve. Lingering or night pain means root canal treatment first, then a crown.
- Crack running down the root. Cannot be repaired. Extraction, and a conversation about an implant or bridge once healed. See root fracture.
- Infection at the root. Emergency root canal stage 1 to drain and dress the tooth, or extraction if the tooth is not worth saving.
- Broken cusp or filling. A white filling if enough tooth remains, otherwise a crown.
Fees are agreed in writing before treatment starts. Visits after 6pm on weekdays and at weekends carry an additional out-of-hours charge.
| Treatment | Fee (from) |
|---|---|
| Emergency examination including X-rays | £30 |
| Bite adjustment | priced at the visit |
| White filling | £150–£220 |
| Emergency root canal stage 1 | £200 |
| Completed root canal treatment | £450 |
| All-ceramic crown | £750–£1,000 |
| Extraction | £120–£260 |
Why waiting turns a crack into an extraction
A crack in a tooth behaves like a crack in a windscreen: it does not heal, it cannot be glued, and every load makes it a little longer. While it is in the enamel and dentine, a crown stops it where it is. Once it reaches the nerve, bacteria follow it in and the tooth needs a root canal before the crown. Once it runs below the bone, nothing holds the two halves together and the tooth has to come out. The same tooth can pass through all three stages in a year of chewing on it. A £750 crown in the first month is the cheapest outcome; the others cost more and end with fewer teeth.
Questions, answered
Common questions
Can pain when biting go away on its own?
A bruised ligament from a high filling or a knock can settle in a week or two once the tooth is rested. Pain from a crack or an infection does not, because the cause is still there; it tends to come and go, then get worse.
Why does the tooth hurt when I let go rather than when I bite down?
That is the signature of a crack. Biting pushes the two halves apart slowly; releasing lets them snap back together, and the sudden movement of fluid in the dentine fires the nerve. Pain on pressing rather than release points to the ligament instead.
Why does bite pain feel worse in the mornings?
Usually because you are clenching or grinding in your sleep, loading the tooth for hours. A cracked tooth or a high filling takes the brunt of that. A night guard often helps once the tooth itself has been treated.
Do I always need a crown for a cracked tooth?
For a true crack in a back tooth, almost always, because only a crown holds the halves together. A small crack limited to the enamel, or a broken cusp with plenty of tooth left, can sometimes be managed with a bonded filling.
Why does a cracked tooth not show on an X-ray?
An X-ray is a shadow picture, and a crack is a hairline gap running in the same direction as the beam, so it casts no shadow. We find cracks with the bite test, a bright light through the tooth and magnification instead.
Is pain when biting a sign of infection?
Sometimes. A dull ache under pressure, a tooth that feels tall and tenderness on tapping suggest infection at the root tip. Sharp pain on release suggests a crack. The examination tells them apart.
In pain? Don’t wait
Same-day emergency appointments, seven days a week.
£30 emergency examination including X-rays. Call now and a real person answers, or grab a slot online.
334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH · Free parking