If you’ve experienced a toothache, there’s no pain quite like it (if you haven’t, count your lucky stars or for that matter lucky teeth!). Some say that they would rather give birth than endure a severe toothache.
So what is a toothache? A toothache is a sign of a problem that won’t go away by itself. It can be caused by tooth decay (a cavity), an infection, or even a cracked tooth. Trauma to the tooth caused by a sport injury or accident can also cause toothaches.
As tempting as it maybe to self diagnose or treat your problem, your first course of action should be to call the dentist and get seen right away. When calling the dental office, be prepared to answer some quick questions. The questions will help identify the source of your toothache and suggest temporary solutions to ease your discomfort.
Questions to consider:
- Which tooth or area of your mouth is in pain?
- How long has this issue been bothering you?
- Is the area sensitive to chewing,hot,cold sweets,or sugar?
- What kind of pain are you experiencing? Throbbing,stinging, aching?
- Is the area swollen or bleeding?
- Are you having trouble sleeping?
Follow these steps for temporary relief.
*Make sure to have approval from a dental healthcare professional before actively seeking temporary relief.
Gums are bleeding due to an injury:
1. Clean the area and make sure there’s no food particles trapped.
2. Apply gauze to the affected area for ~1 hour.
3. Once bleeding has stopped, remove the gauze.
Chipped a tooth or lost a filling:
1. Take ibuprofen as directed on the package.
2. If the tooth is sharp or rough, temporary filling material can be used. Temporary filling material can be purchased at a drugstore.
3. Avoid chewing on that side.
Your crown came off:
1. It’s important to bring the crown with you to your dental appointment. The doctor will make sure there is no underlying issues that caused the crown to come off.
2. If you are not able to see the dentist in 24 hours of your crown coming loose, you can use a temporary cement found at a drugstore to place the crown back on tooth. Remember this is a temporary solution and will still need to see your dentist.The dentist will permanently recement the crown and make sure your bite is correct.
You have a raised pimple in the mouth:
1. A raised pimple that is excreting white fluid could be an abscess. An abscess is an infection that is deep within the nerve of the tooth and must be drained and treated.
2. This needs attention immediately by your dental team. Temporary relief can be obtained by taking ibuprofen as directed on the package.
3. Warm salt rinse a couple time a day is advised.
4. Avoid chewing on that side.
5. Avoid cold foods until you see your dentist.