Toothaches can be one of the most irritating things because of how much pain it can cause, it is almost enough to drive you crazy. The worst part about a really bad toothache is the constant throbbing that never seems to go away. It seems like every time you breathe or move the pain intensifies, no matter how hard you try to avoid the tooth that hurts. Majority of the time this pain is caused by a cavity, but sometimes that pain can be caused from an abscess tooth or an injury to the mouth.
The only way to fix any of those problems is to go into the dentist, but even the best dentist might not be able to see you immediately. With a toothache sometimes even having to wait a day to get into your dentist can seem like forever. The good news is there are quite a few things you can try to help ease the pain until you can get into the dentist.
Tip one:
Try gently removing any food particles from the tooth with your toothbrush or dental floss. Afterwards swish some warm salt water around in your mouth to help ease the pain and to make sure that all of the food particles have been removed. The good thing with the warm salt water is it can be done as often as necessary.
Tip two:
When you are eating try to avoid chewing on that side of your mouth. Also try to stay away from foods that are very hot or very cold as this could cause the tooth to hurt even more. Also sticking with soft foods will help to avoid putting pressure on the tooth. Be sure to gently brush your teeth after eating to avoid having food particles stuck in the tooth.
Tip three:
Try putting a cotton ball soaked in clove oil directly on the tooth. Clove oil has soothing and infection-fighting properties that might help to relieve the pain. If this makes your tooth ache worse immediately remove the cotton ball and rinse your mouth really good with warm salt water.
Tip four:
You can also try placing a tea bag between the infected tooth and your cheek or holding the tea bag gently between your teeth.
Tip five:
A tried and true method is using an ice pack. You can use frozen vegetables in a bag, a zip lock sandwich bag with a few ice cubes, or a regular ice pack to help provide relief. Simply hold the ice pack on the outside of the cheek closest to the tooth that hurts.
Tip six:
You can also use over the counter topical medications that contain numbing medications. The medication used to numb the tooth can be lidocaine or benzocaine. Orajel is an over the counter product that you apply directly to the tooth and it usually provides instant relief.
Tip seven:
You can also take over the counter pain relievers such as aspirin, Tylenol, and ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is probably the best choice because it contains an anti-inflammatory that will reduce any swelling in your gums, as well as provide pain relief. Some people might recommend that you chew the pain relievers or rub it on your gums, but do not do this as it can cause new or further injury to the gums.
Tip eight:
If the pain does not get better or just continues to get worse you can go to the nearest emergency room to get prescription painkillers.
Regardless of what method or methods you use to help relieve the pain you need to get into the dentist as soon as possible. Remember when going to see the dentist be sure to tell him about anything you did to help relieve the pain.
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Source by Dr. Scott Watkins
