Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

T
toothache PAIN in a tooth or in the jaw.
Toothache typically suggests DENTAL CARIES (cavities)
or other dental problems. Dentists provide care
when this is the case. Early intervention minimizes
tooth loss, the extent of other damage such as to
the gums and jaw, and the extent of treatment.
Persistent jaw pain, particularly when
it extends from the shoulder into the
neck and jaw, can be an early warning
sign of HEART ATTACK. A physician should
evaluate such pain without delay.
NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS)
such as ibuprofen and naproxen effectively relieve
most tooth pain in the short term. Topical anesthetics
or products containing clove oil, designated
for oral use (use in the mouth), temporarily
relieve pain when applied to the tooth surface or
surrounding gum tissue. Good ORAL HYGIENE and
adequate dietary calcium and vitamin D help
maintain tooth health.
A toothache sometimes indicates health conditions
such as SINUSITIS (sinus infection), OTITIS (ear
infection), migraine HEADACHE, TEMPOROMANDIBULAR
DISORDERS, and NEURALGIA (INFLAMMATION and irritation)
affecting the nerves that supply the face.
Physicians provide care for these conditions.
See also GINGIVITIS; PERIODONTAL DISEASE; TEETH.
throat The collective term for the structures at
the back of the MOUTH that provide passage to the
structures and organs of the trunk. The throat
includes the pharynx, which carries food to the
ESOPHAGUS and air to the TRACHEA, and the larynx,
or voice box, which contains the VOCAL CORDS. The
tonsils are at the back and top of the throat; the
tongue extends to the front and top of the throat.
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A “sore throat” typically refers to discomfort
involving any of these structures. The muscles of
the throat participate in swallowing, BREATHING,
and speech. The Adam’s apple, a bulge in the CAR-
TILAGE visible on the front of the throat (more visible
in men than women though present in both)
marks the position of the THYROID GLAND and PARA-
THYROID GLANDS.
COMMON CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE THROAT
ADENOID HYPERTROPHY
CROUP
LARYNGEAL CANCER
LARYNGOCELE
PERITONSILLAR ABSCESS
POSTNASAL DRIP
TONSILLITIS
VOCAL CORD CYST
VOCAL CORD PARALYSIS
COUGH
EPIGLOTTITIS
LARYNGITIS
OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
PHARYNGITIS
SWALLOWING DISORDERS
VELOPHARYNGEAL INSUFFICIENCY
VOCAL CORD NODULE
VOCAL CORD POLYP
For further discussion of the throat within the
context of otolaryngologic structure and function
please see the overview section “The Ear, Nose,
Mouth, and Throat.”
See also NOSE.
thrush A yeast (FUNGUS) INFECTION of the inner
MOUTH. The fungus Candida albicans causes thrush,
which appears in the mouth as reddened patches
with a white discharge. Doctors may use the
broader terms CANDIDIASIS or moniliasis. C. albicans
is a common fungus present in the healthy body,
kept in check by the BACTERIA that are also present.
It becomes pathogenic (disease causing) only
when there are disturbances to the body’s natural
balance that allows it to flourish.
Thrush is most common in infants between the
ages of 1 month and 10 months, though it can