Pain in any part of the body is unpleasant. It indicates underlying illness or injury which can be mild or severe. Pain can affect a person’s ability to function in the society and can even disturb one’s routine tasks such as eating, working and sleeping. There are certain health conditions which are unquestionably agonizing. Toothache is one of them.
There are several reasons for toothache. Tooth cavity is however, the most common. While visiting a dentist for treatment, there are certain situations when a dentist might be inaccessible for you. Don’t get worried. We will be mentioning few evidence based methods which can help relieve your toothache at home while you wait for your dental appointment.
- Teeth cleaning:
Sometimes, the food which gets stuck between the teeth or in a tooth cavity is the source of irritation to the gums or toothache. Removing the impacted food may cause some relief. This can be done via simple tooth brushing or flossing.
Poking the area with
- tooth pick,
- nails,
- pins,
- matchstick
these practicees are not advisable as it only cause more harm.
- Avoid Sweets, Cold or Hot Meals and Beverages:
If cavity is the source of toothache then avoiding sweet meals or those with extreme temperatures can be helpful. This is because when a cavity is formed in the tooth, the outer hard layer of the tooth called enamel breaks down and the inner layer of the tooth called dentine is exposed.
- The dentine is inherently more sensitive to sweets, cold and hot.
- Soft meals such as rice, soft bread, egg etc. can be consumed.
- Chewing of hard, sticky and fibrous meals with the painful tooth must be avoided.
- . Salt Water Rinses:
Salt water rinses are helpful if the toothache is accompanied with gums swelling.
For salt water rinses or gargles, it is recommended to add a pinch of salt in one cup of warm water and rinse the mouth with that water.
However, in some cases of tooth ache, warm water can cause pain and therefore water at normal temperature can be used.
- Cold compresses:
If you are suffering from that stage of dental decay disease where warm meals or liquids are aggravating your toothache, then cold compresses or cold rinses are a solution.
An ice pack or a bag of frozen peas can be held against the outside of the cheek over the painful tooth for a few minutes. Cold rinses i.e. adding salt to cold water and rinsing your mouth with it, can also be applied.
However, if you suspect that there is some other cavitated tooth on the same offensive side of the mouth which is sensitive to cold, then cold rinses must be avoided.
- Pain Relief Medications:
Over the counter medicines for pain relief such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are the drug of choice for toothache. The pills for pain relief (tablets or capsules) are meant to be ingested and must not be held in mouth against the painful tooth for pain relief. For mouth sores and gums infection such as swollen gums overlying a partially erupted wisdom tooth, gels containing lignocaine or benzocaine may be helpful.
For children, syrups are available for the same drugs. Gels must not be used in children.
Certain drugs are contraindicated in certain medical conditions and age groups. For e.g.
- Aspirin must not be given to those under 16
Ibuprofen must be avoided if one has
- liver disease,
- peptic ulcer,
- asthma,
- diabetes,
- hypertension,
- renal disease
- pregnancy.
Antibiotics must not be taken without prescription.
- Clove Oil:
Eugenol, an ingredient in clove oil, is a natural anesthetic. This makes clove oil a good source of pain relief.
- A small cotton or tissue pellet is dipped in clove oil and placed over gums at the point of pain.
- Whole clove can also be used if clove oil is not available. It is placed and left at the point of pain until there is relief.
Conclusion
It must be noted that all the aforementioned solutions merely relieve pain temporarily and not remove the cause. In order to determine and treat the cause of dental pain, it is highly recommended to visit a dentist. Pain killers must not be misused as, like all above mentioned remedies, they are not the permanent solution for the dental problems. Above all, prevention is the best solution. Dental diseases are best prevented by regular and proper maintenance of oral hygiene and regular visit to dentist.
-by Dr Sumaiya Hassan
