What Does Pain When Biting Mean?
Biting and chewing place significant force on your teeth — force that healthy tooth structure normally withstands without discomfort. When pain occurs during biting, it usually indicates that something is disrupting the tooth's ability to handle that load.
Common reasons include a crack running through the tooth, inflammation or infection within the dental pulp, an uneven bite that concentrates pressure on one area, or a filling or crown that is not properly aligned with the opposing teeth. In each case, biting creates or amplifies a stress that the tooth can no longer absorb comfortably.
Because many of these issues are not visible to the naked eye, professional assessment is typically needed to identify the exact cause and determine the appropriate course of action.
Common Causes of Pain When Biting
Several dental conditions can produce pain during biting or chewing. The following are among the most frequently identified causes, though only a dentist can confirm the specific reason through examination.
Cracked Tooth Syndrome
An incomplete fracture in a tooth can cause sharp pain when biting forces flex the two segments apart. Pain is often felt on release of pressure rather than on initial contact.
Dental Abscess or Infection
Infection at the root tip or within the pulp chamber can produce throbbing pain that intensifies under biting pressure, sometimes accompanied by swelling or a persistent bad taste.
Inflammation After Dental Treatment
Following a filling, crown, or other restoration, the tooth and surrounding tissues may be temporarily inflamed. Biting discomfort that persists beyond a few days should be reviewed.
High Filling or Poorly Aligned Crown
A restoration that sits even slightly higher than the surrounding bite surface receives disproportionate force, often causing localised pain when chewing.
Teeth Grinding or Occlusal Imbalance
Bruxism and uneven bite contacts place excessive stress on individual teeth, which can lead to tenderness, micro-cracks, and pain when biting over time.
Symptoms That May Accompany Biting Pain
Pain when biting rarely occurs in complete isolation. The accompanying symptoms can offer useful clues about the underlying condition, although professional assessment is needed for accurate diagnosis.
Sharp Pain on Release of Pressure
A sudden, fleeting pain felt when you stop biting rather than when you bite down — a hallmark of cracked tooth syndrome.
Sensitivity to Hot or Cold
Temperature sensitivity alongside biting pain may suggest pulp involvement or exposed dentine from a crack or lost restoration.
Localised Swelling
Swelling around the affected tooth or along the gum line can indicate infection or an abscess that requires professional attention.
Tenderness When Tapping the Tooth
Discomfort when a tooth is gently tapped (percussion sensitivity) may point to inflammation at the root tip or within the surrounding ligament.
Intermittent Discomfort When Chewing
Pain that appears with certain foods or biting angles — and then disappears — often indicates an incomplete crack or a restoration issue.
Symptoms vary depending on the underlying condition. Not all of the above will be present in every case.
Why Professional Assessment Is Important
Many causes of biting pain are not detectable without professional examination. Cracks in teeth are often invisible on the surface and may not always appear on standard X-rays. Infections can develop slowly at the root tip without obvious swelling until they reach an advanced stage. A bite that is only marginally uneven can still place enough stress on a single tooth to cause persistent discomfort.
Early assessment is valuable because it helps protect remaining tooth structure. A crack that is identified and managed promptly may be stabilised with a crown, whereas a crack that is left to progress may eventually extend below the gum line and require extraction. Similarly, infections treated at an early stage typically respond well to root canal treatment, avoiding the need for more complex intervention.
Dental imaging, bite analysis, and clinical testing allow your dentist to build a clear picture of what is causing the pain and to recommend the most conservative, effective treatment.
How Dentists Diagnose the Cause
Identifying the source of biting pain involves a structured clinical process. Your dentist may use several of the following approaches:
Clinical Examination
Visual and tactile inspection of the tooth, surrounding gum tissue, and any existing restorations.
Bite Tests
Controlled biting on specific areas of the tooth to reproduce symptoms and pinpoint the location of discomfort.
Evaluation of Restorations
Assessment of existing fillings, crowns, or other dental work for signs of wear, looseness, or height discrepancy.
Dental Imaging
X-rays or other imaging where appropriate to identify cracks, infection, bone changes, or hidden decay.
Occlusal Assessment
Analysis of how the upper and lower teeth meet during biting and chewing to detect imbalance or premature contacts.
Treatment Options for Pain When Biting
Treatment depends entirely on the diagnosis. Your dentist will discuss the most appropriate options based on the findings of your assessment. Possible treatments may include:
Adjusting a Filling or Crown
If a restoration is sitting too high, a minor adjustment to the biting surface can often resolve discomfort quickly.
Protective Restoration
A dental crown may be recommended to hold a cracked tooth together, protect the remaining structure, and restore comfortable function.
Root Canal Treatment
Where infection or irreversible pulp inflammation is identified, root canal treatment removes the affected tissue and preserves the tooth.
Bite Adjustment or Occlusal Correction
Selective reshaping of tooth surfaces or the use of a bite guard can redistribute biting forces and relieve pressure on vulnerable teeth.
Tooth Extraction
In severe cases where a tooth is extensively cracked below the gum line or cannot be predictably restored, extraction may be the most appropriate option.
Treatment outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Your dentist will explain what can reasonably be expected in your case.
Professional Assessment for Biting Pain
Persistent or sharp pain when biting should be professionally evaluated to identify the underlying cause and help protect long-term tooth health. Early assessment often allows for more conservative treatment and a better long-term outcome.
Depending on the findings, your dentist may recommend general dental treatment, a protective dental crown, root canal treatment if infection is present, or an emergency dental assessment if symptoms are severe.
Assessment for tooth pain when biting is available at our London clinics. You can attend our South Kensington dental clinic or our City of London clinic near St Paul's for a professional dental review.
Can Pain When Biting Go Away on Its Own?
Pain when biting may ease temporarily — particularly if you avoid chewing on the affected side — but this does not necessarily mean the underlying issue has resolved. Cracks can continue to propagate through the tooth even when symptoms appear to settle, and infections may progress silently beneath the surface.
In some cases, a tooth nerve that has been under sustained stress may gradually lose vitality. The pain may diminish as the nerve becomes less responsive, but the infection or structural damage remains. Without treatment, this can lead to abscess formation or fracture that compromises the tooth further.
If you have experienced biting pain that has come and gone, it is advisable to mention this at your next dental appointment so the area can be assessed, even if the discomfort has settled at the time of your visit.
Reducing the Risk of Biting Pain
While not every cause of biting pain can be prevented, the following habits can help reduce your risk:
- Attend regular dental check-ups so developing issues can be identified early
- Have damaged or deteriorating fillings repaired before they compromise the tooth
- Discuss teeth grinding with your dentist — a custom bite guard may be recommended
- Seek assessment for any change in how your teeth come together when biting
- Avoid using teeth to open packaging or bite hard non-food objects
