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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 anes-
thetics 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 HYGIENEand
adequate dietary calcium and vitamin D help
maintain tooth health.
A toothache sometimes indicates health condi-
tions such as SINUSITIS(sinus infection), OTITIS(ear
infection), migraine HEADACHE, TEMPOROMANDIBULAR
DISORDERS, and NEURALGIA(INFLAMMATIONand irrita-
tion) 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 MOUTHthat provide passage to the
structures and organs of the trunk. The throat
includes the pharynx, which carries food to the
ESOPHAGUSand 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.

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-

TILAGEvisible on the front of the throat (more visi-

ble in men than women though present in both)

marks the position of the THYROID GLANDand PARA-

THYROID GLANDS.

COMMON CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE THROAT

ADENOID HYPERTROPHY COUGH

CROUP EPIGLOTTITIS

LARYNGEAL CANCER LARYNGITIS

LARYNGOCELE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

PERITONSILLAR ABSCESS PHARYNGITIS

POSTNASAL DRIP SWALLOWING DISORDERS

TONSILLITIS VELOPHARYNGEAL INSUFFICIENCY

VOCAL CORD CYST VOCAL CORD NODULE

VOCAL CORD PARALYSIS 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) INFECTIONof 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 CANDIDIASISor moniliasis. C. albicans

is a common fungus present in the healthy body,

kept in check by the BACTERIAthat 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

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