What To Do When You Have A Toothache



How often do you have to go home early from work because of a toothache becoming worse? Or wake up in the middle of the night bombarded by a throbbing pain that originates from a deeply carious tooth? Dental pain is usually caused by tooth decay and tooth abscess.
Tooth decay usually exhibits signs and symptoms including a sharp pain in the tooth generally occurring when you bite or chew your food. There is also a feeling of soreness and pain in the teeth, gums and jaw. Most often, a person who has a decaying tooth exhibits bad breath that comes from the decomposing tooth structure aggravated by the decaying food particles that are usually trapped and left in the dental cavity. A bad taste in the mouth will also be felt especially when the dental decay becomes severe or there is already the presence of a tooth abscess or infection.


The signs and symptoms of a tooth abscess on the other hand include the following:
1. Severe pain in the tooth and jaw.


2. A loose tooth caused by the damage in the periodontal ligaments. Periodontal ligaments are the tissues that hold the teeth to the surrounding alveolar bone. Impaired integrity of these tissues is caused by gum disease that results to subsequent periodontal disease when left untreated.


3. Gum disease characterized by red, swollen and bleeding gums.


4. A person suffering from tooth abscess may experience fever brought about the dental infection.


5. Earache.


6. Swollen glands in the neck.




If you are suffering from toothache, it is important that you should see your dentist especially if you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of tooth abscess. Until then, you can follow these home remedies that can provide some relief from your dental pain.
1. If the pain you are suffering is caused by pressure due to trapped food bits in between the teeth, a simple dental floss manipulation can remove the irritant. You can then rinse with warm salt water.


2. If you feel pain in your gums, suck on an ice cube to numb the area or an ice pack will do the trick for a painful jaw.


3. Try to apply a heat pack if cold application is not working. Apply a hot compress on your jaw and gargle with warm salt water.


4. A wet black tea bag placed on your sore gum for 30 minutes will relieve the soreness and may even stop the bleeding.


5. You can put oil of cloves onto your aching tooth every 20 minutes using a cotton swab. This will ease some of the pain.


6. Take over the counter pain reliever but never take aspirin if you are expecting a dental procedure. Aspirin can increase the bleeding and may jeopardize the procedure and may put you at unnecessary risk.


7. Never place aspirin on your gums to relieve the pain. This may worsen the condition and create burns to your gum tissue.


You may require emergency care and need a prompt dental visit if you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of a dental abscess. Otherwise, you can call your dentist for advice if you are experiencing a toothache that lasts for more than a day or two. A throbbing tooth pain, a tooth that responds to both hot and cold stimulus and a tooth that hurts during pressure may be exhibiting signs of a dental cavity. You may already have gum disease if you are experiencing swelling, redness, soreness and pain in your gums. This may also indicate an impacted tooth.

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