How to Treat a Toothache
February 9th, 2021, is National Toothache Day! Most of us have experienced a toothache at one point in our lives. If you have, you know how painful toothaches can be and that they don’t just go away on their own. In the following article, emergency dentists in Easton, PA, share different ways on how to treat a toothache.
What to Do If You Get a Toothache
Any toothaches that come from pressure outside (but not inside) your tooth will get easier without going to the dentist. Pressure caused by redness in the gums will be healed within just a few days. Try not to chew about the infected area at this period. Eat soft foods, avoid hot or cold foods while your teeth are still sensitive.
How to Relieve Your Toothache at Home
Below are a few ways Dr. Moghahdam suggests temporarily relieving your toothache:
- Rinsing with warm salt water is an old trick. Saltwater can release debris between your teeth, act as a disinfectant, and reduce inflammation. Stir a 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt in a bottle of warm water and clean your mouth thoroughly.
- Rinse in peroxide and hydrogen. Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution) helps minimize inflammation and discomfort. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide with equivalent sections of the water and rinse thoroughly. Don’t swallow it.
- Use a cold compress. Keep a cool compress of ice covered in a towel to the sore region for 20 minutes for swelling and discomfort. Repeat a couple of hours.
- Use Anti-Inflammatory Medication. Over-the-counter pain medications can relieve pain and inflammation. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®). Do not give an infant under 16 years of age aspirin; instead, use Tylenol.
- Try clove oil, say our friends at Park Boulevard Family Dentistry, a dental office in Pinellas, FL. A natural antiseptic that induces discomfort and decreases inflammation. Put a small amount of clove oil on a cotton ball and add to a sore area. Or apply a drop of clove oil to a bottle of water and clean your mouth thoroughly.
- Extract of vanilla. Vanilla extract alcohol causes discomfort temporarily, and the antioxidants allow the area to recover. Using your fingers or cotton ball, and add the extract to your teeth and gum a few times a day.
- Tee with peppermint. The relaxing effects of peppermint can be added to a sore region with a refrigerated peppermint tea bag. Keep this wet tea bag between your teeth and your gum.
- It’s garlic. Prepare a paste of crushed garlic clove and add to the infected area. Garlic can destroy bacteria (containing antimicrobial allicin) and relieve pain.
Visiting Your Easton PA Dentist for a Toothache
Temporary, home-made pain relief will not be enough if the toothache continues. Contact our dental office in Easton, PA, if your toothache gets worse.
Our dental staff will happily see you for an emergency dental visit. We will likely ask you the following questions:
- Where’s the pain located?
- When did it begin?
- How bad is that?
- What makes the suffering unbearable, and what gives you relief?
During your full mouth evaluation, we will check your lips, eyes, gums, jaws, tongue, lungs, sinuses, head, nose, and neck. We will also take dental X-rays to your teeth to better demonstrate the source of your toothache.
How Will the Dentist Treat My Toothache?
Your treatment for your toothache will depend on the dental problem. After further assessment of your mouth, we will create a custom treatment plan and go over it with you:
- If you have a hole in your tooth, we will patch the cavity, perform a root canal, or, if necessary, extract your tooth.
- A root canal may be required if the source of the toothache is an inflammation of the nerve of the tooth. Bacteria, which have worked their way into the inner space of the root of the tooth, induce inflammation. This is the best solution if you have severe decay but are still able to save your tooth.
- An antibiotic may be recommended if there is fever or swelling in the jaw.
No matter what the cause of your toothache is, we’re more than happy to help treat it. Our modern dental office is well equipped to handle just about any dental emergency. Contact College Hill Dental Group today if you’re experiencing a dental emergency or would just like to schedule an appointment.
