Crossword Genius

Dental problem, a sore point, say, long after (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

toothache

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'dental problem' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'a sore point say long after' is the wordplay.
'a sore point say' becomes 'tooth' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'long' becomes 'ache' (to long for something is to ache for it).
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'tooth'+'ache'='TOOTHACHE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for toothache that I've seen before include "Oral discomfort" , "It causes grief" , "Odontalgia" , "Dental problem" , "Trouble with choppers" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.