What To Do About a Toothache
Toothaches are a symptom indicating that a nerve root in or around a tooth is irritated. Most commonly, that irritation is caused by a tooth infection, tooth decay, gum disease, a damaged tooth, the loss of a tooth, or some dental procedures.
The most obvious symptom of a toothache in West Edmonton is pain, but there are other common related symptoms. Your teeth may be unusually sensitive to heat and cold. You may notice swelling in your gums around the affected tooth, or even in your jaw and face. You may taste blood or a discharge from the affected gums or teeth.
The pain related to an infected, decayed, or damaged tooth is not always restricted to the area of the tooth. Toothache-related pain can radiate (reach into) your cheek, jaw, and even your ear and cause ear aches and headaches.
How to prevent toothaches
The very best remedy for a toothache is preventing the toothache in the first place. We’ll suggest some home remedies for mild toothaches, but every toothache is the symptom of a condition that can — if not addressed effectively — progress to a serious infection that may require emergency dental attention. You can avoid the risk of serious infections by following this five-part prevention process.
1. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time
2. Floss your teeth daily
3. Use an alcohol-free mouthwash regularly
4. See your dentist every six months and, while there, describe any sensitivity, pain, or other symptoms
5. Limit sugars and high-acidity beverages in your diet.
Minor toothaches are common. Treating them with home remedies is reasonable… within limits. Unexplained, worsening, and persistent toothaches can indicate gum disease, infection, and an abscessed tooth.
Unexplained, worsening, and persistent toothaches warrants urgent attention from an emergency dentist in West Edmonton.
Home remedies for minor toothaches
Gargling with salt water
Rinsing your mouth with warm (not hot) salted water four or five times a day can help reduce inflammation. Use approximately half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water just warm enough to dissolve the salt.
Elevate your head
You can reduce the swelling and pain associated with a toothache by elevating your head with a pillow when lying down. This will reduce excessive blood flow to the affected tooth.
Use a cold compress
Use
a cold compress for up to 15 minutes at a time for several times a day. That
cold will reduce swelling and produce a mild numbing effect. You can get cold
compresses at any drug store but, if you don’t have one, wrap a bag of ice or
frozen peas in a clean dish towel.
The first three suggestions probably didn’t surprise you. Does this one? You probably knew about garlic’s antibacterial properties, but raw garlic also offers some relief from pain. Peel a clove of garlic, then crush it in a garlic press or with the side of a clean knife. Gently rub the crushed garlic clove onto the affected tooth.
Peppermint
tea
Peppermint naturally produces a mild numbing effect that can help ease a minor toothache near you. You can achieve this effect by drinking peppermint tea (lukewarm, not hot), or even by applying a wet peppermint tea bag directly to the tooth at the focus of the pain.
Knotted floss
Flossing
does not always remove everything that becomes lodged between teeth. Sometimes
a toothache is caused by something that has stubbornly become caught between
teeth. Try tying knots in your tooth floss, then flossing regularly while
gently pulling the knotted floss between your teeth.
If your toothache persists for more than a day or two even after trying these remedies — or if your pain is severe and comes with a fever and swelling — see a dentist in West Edmonton right away. Your dentist in West Edmonton will be able to ease your pain, and act as quickly as necessary to prevent or halt any serious infection.
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