Toothache is likely to strike when least expected — at night, during weekends, or just before a big event. The pain may be acute, throbbing, continuous, and scary. Even though nothing can replace proper dental care, knowing what needs to be done to cope with such a condition until you see the dentist will be helpful.
In this article, we discuss ,How to Handle Severe Tooth Pain Before Seeing a Dentist and all safe,efficient techniques that can help you get rid of the excruciating toothache at home.
Causes of Toothache
Before you reach for the painkiller, it’s useful to know what might be happening in your mouth. Toothaches are seldom accidental. Instead, they are your body’s way of telling you something serious is wrong. Some possible reasons include:
- Dental abscess – an infection around the root of the tooth, or even the gum tissue surrounding it, which leads to sharp pain
- Fractured tooth – pain when biting and chewing due to cracks or splits in the tooth
- Tooth decay – severe decay which extends to the tooth’s pulp can cause pain
- Nerve exposure – pain upon contact with hot, cold, or any kind of pressure
- Wisdom teeth – pain caused by a badly emerged tooth
- Missing filling – leaving the tooth’s nerve exposed
- Periodontal abscess – infection or inflammation in the gum tissue
Differentiating between different kinds of tooth pain will make it easier for your dentist to diagnose your condition once you come for treatment.
Step-by-Step Guide on What You Can Do for Intense Toothache at Home
This is not a substitute for professional treatment; rather, it will help you cope until you see your dentist.
1. Rinse Your Mouth With Warm Salt Solution
One of the easiest things you can do for toothache is to rinse your mouth with a salt solution.
Instructions:
Mix half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water. Gargle this mixture in your mouth for half a minute and then spit it out. Repeat this process a couple of times.
Reasons why it works:
The saline solution acts as an antiseptic, reducing inflammation in gums and drawing fluids out of swollen areas, thus cleaning your mouth of any irritating materials such as bacteria or food.
2. Taking Over-The-Counter Medication Properly
The two over-the-counter medications that may suit the needs of your mouth properly are paracetamol (e.g., Panadol) and ibuprofen (e.g., Nurofen). One advantage of ibuprofen is its anti-inflammatory qualities, especially when there is any inflammation present.
Important considerations:
- Make sure to follow strictly to the dosage instructions
- Avoid placing the aspirin pill inside your mouth on the tooth or gums. This is not a remedy; in fact, the aspirin may burn the soft tissues inside your mouth.
- Do not consume more than the prescribed dosage thinking that it works faster.
Take note that pregnancy, having kidney disease, and taking medication to thin your blood should warrant caution when taking ibuprofen.Taking paracetamol and ibuprofen (by alternating them) can be a better choice compared to just taking one or the other, although you need to ask for advice from a pharmacist or dentist.
3. Place a Cold Pack on the Outside of Your Face
Should you have swelling along with your toothache, placing a cold pack on the outside of your face can relieve the symptoms by reducing swelling and numbing the affected area.
How to do it:
Pack some ice or cold pack in a clean towel and place it against your face for 15-20 minutes. Remove it for another 20 minutes and repeat the process. Do not apply ice directly on your face.
What to Avoid:
Never try to apply heat as it will cause you more harm than good. Heat draws infections up to your jaw and face, resulting in increased swelling and bacteria spread.
4. Clove Oil Can Work as a Numbing Agent
Clove oil contains a component called eugenol that acts as a natural analgesic as well as antibacterial. You can easily get clove oil from most pharmacies.
How to use it:
Take some clove oil on a clean cotton ball or a clean cotton swab and apply it carefully on the affected tooth and the surrounding gums. Take care not to swallow the clove oil as it can cause irritation.
5. Use Temporary Filling Kit or Dental Cement
When you lose a dental filling or experience a dislodged crown, there is usually intense pain due to exposure of the underlying dentine layer; the feeling is even worse when taking any hot or cold food or drink. You can use temporary dental cement products such as Dentemp that are available over-the-counter from chemists to protect the damaged area before visiting the dentist.
How to apply it:
Always follow instructions on the packaging; avoid using household glue or adhesive materials.
6. Prop Head With Additional Pillow at Night
In case you find it difficult to sleep because of intense pain, you could prop yourself with an additional pillow during bedtime. Sleeping flat on the bed allows the blood to accumulate in the head, hence increasing pressure within the inflamed tooth.
7. Avoid Food and Drinks That Aggravate the Pain
While you are waiting for your appointment, be mindful of what you eat and drink:
- Do not have anything that is too hot or too cold since the nerve becomes sensitive to extreme temperatures
- Do not have anything that is too sweet and full of sugars because the sugar feeds bacteria in your mouth and increases the level of pain due to decay
- Do not have anything that is too hard to chew since it can cause additional damage to your weakened tooth or the temporary filling if you have one
You can eat soft foods like yoghurt, soft-boiled eggs, soft vegetables, and soups.
8. Maintain Oral Hygiene
Even if it is uncomfortable, make sure to keep brushing and flossing your teeth gently. This way, there will be no bacteria around the area causing pain.
When Is Tooth Pain a Dental Emergency? Know the Warning Signs
There are some instances when the problem goes beyond simple toothache and you need to seek help from an emergency dentist immediately without waiting for your next routine visit to the dentist.
See an emergency dentist if:
- The pain in your teeth is severe and constant even when using over-the-counter medication
- You have facial or jaw swelling especially if this involves your neck and eyes
- You have fever along with the pain in your tooth – this indicates a progressing infection
- You are finding difficulty breathing or swallowing as a result of a tooth infection, which can sometimes be an emergency because the abscess could potentially affect the airway
- You have a knocked out permanent tooth – it must be returned to its socket within the hour
- Excessive bleeding after applying pressure for about 10-15 minutes
- Pus discharge and an unpleasant taste coming from your mouth due to the infected tooth
- Your tooth fracture exposes you to a sharp edge inside your mouth, causing cuts on your tongue or cheeks
These instances cannot be treated at home. It is time to head straight to an urgent dental
Don’t Delay Tooth Pain Treatment — We Can Help You!
Dealing with tooth pain on your own can only be done temporarily. The only way to stop intense tooth pain is to visit a professional dentist who can determine its root cause.
Our Baldivis Dental Clinic is here to help! We are a reliable team, offer urgent dental treatments to patients around Baldivis, Warnbro, Secret Harbour and beyond. As our name suggests, our priority is providing quick access to high quality treatment for patients suffering from dental pain. That’s why we offer urgent consultations to patients on a same-day basis!
We provide such services as:
- Emergency dentistry — urgent treatments for toothache, dental abscesses, damaged teeth
- General dentistry — dental check-ups and other preventive treatments to avoid emergencies
- Restorative & advanced dental procedures — root canal therapy, crowns for cracked teeth
- Oral surgery & tooth removal
We take all major insurance and make sure that our treatments meet your needs. With the help of advanced technologies and diagnostic tools, such as digital scanning, we aim to provide you with quick, accurate and effective results.