“Does tooth pain mean I have a cavity?”

Cold sensitivity is normal.

Could be a cavity, you cannot see all your teeth even with 20/20.

Tooth pain could be any number of things, including a cavity. Your choices are to 1) see a dentist (best choice) or 2) suffer until it goes from sensitive to full blown pain.

You should absolutely be examined by your dentist! Tooth pain is certainly a strong warning sign that something is happening with your tooth. Unfortunately, decay or cavities are not always visible to the eye and that is where X-rays can be taken to identify if there are any changes to your tooth.
Good luck and get in to your dentist right away as the symptoms can become much worse very quickly!

Brett E. Gilbert, D.D.S.

I highly recommend you visit your dentist and bring your sensitivity to his attention. It could be a cavity that need to fixed or it might be due to gum recession that first of all the reason for the need to be defined and treated. Also you might benefit from changing your tooth paste.

Tooth pain does not necessarily mean that you have a cavity, although a cavity is one possible cause of tooth pain. Tooth pain occurs when the nerve inside of your tooth gets injured, so it is important to figure out what caused the injury to the nerve. Other possible causes of nerve injury are a cracked tooth, a loose or broken filling, exposed root due to gum recession, old or deep fillings or crowns on the tooth, grinding or clenching of the teeth, and trauma. You should visit your dentist and have him or her take x-rays and do a thorough examination to figure out what is causing your tooth pain, and then make a plan to fix the problem.

Hello
Signs or symptoms of a cavity include sensitivity to cold, upon flossing, it shreds. If cavity is deep, throbbing pain, sensitivity to hot and cold, pain keeping you up night. Sensitivity can also be due to gum recession, grinding etc... cavities can be between your teeth and visible to the naked eye. I would recommend seeing your dentist. Hope this helps.

If I had a penny every time a patient asked me that.Tooth pain doesn’t not necessary mean cavity.First of all it has to be determine if the origin of the pain is the soft tissue such as gum related or hard tissue such as tooth and bone. A tooth pain requires X-rays, oral exam and review of symptoms.Some cavities may not show in the X-ray or in oral exam and only a competent dentist would be able to distinguish when a tooth has a cavity. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to diagnose the original of the pain, but the key is talking to your dentist.
Is the tooth sensitive to temperature, is it dull or severe, is it spontaneous (hurts all the time), does it hurt when you are eating? Drinking? What temperature: hot or cold? Does it hurt more at night? When did it started? Did it happen in the past? Is the tooth moving? Does the tooth have a filling and what kind of filling (metal vs. white)? How did it start? Did you have any recent extraction? Do you suffer from TMJ? And then follow-up questions. Find an experienced dentist that takes time to speak to you. A correct diagnosis by an expert dentist is worth every penny. Misdiagnosis can  cost much more than a pay out of pocket consultation exam. I know I did not give you a definite answer, but there are many reasons for tooth pain and a cavity is only one of them.
Best of luck. 

Yes you should let a dentist look at it....you may just have some gum line abrasion on the tooth or may need to use a toothpaste like sensodyne