Toothache: Causes of Tooth Pain and How To Deal With It
Tooth pain is no joke. When your tooth hurts, the pain and discomfort can be all-encompassing. It impacts your ability to eat and sleep and can even make it hard for you to concentrate at work and school. So when it comes to a toothache, it is essential to know what might be causing it in the first place and what to do about it.
What do you need to know about a toothache?
If you are experiencing tooth pain, you probably can’t think about much other than tooth pain relief. But before we tell you how to make that pain go away, let’s cover what might be causing that toothache in the first place. The truth is, the causes of tooth pain can vary greatly. Toothaches can stem from a food particle such as a popcorn hull stuck between your teeth and gums. But there are more serious causes of tooth pain as well.
- Tooth decay
- Broken tooth
- Abscessed tooth
- Damaged filling
- Grinding and clenching teeth
- Tooth eruption
Many of the above causes of tooth pain can be prevented with proper oral care at home and regular visits to your local family dentist. One of the best ways to prevent tooth decay is by brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes at a time with a soft-bristled toothbrush, flossing once per day per bed to loosen food particles from the day’s meals, and rinsing after flossing to help remove those food particles from your mouth.
Combining an excellent oral care routine with a visit to your dentist once every six months for an oral evaluation and professional dental cleaning can help prevent tooth decay and can help you be on the lookout for risks that can increase your chances of a broken tooth, dental abscess, or damaged filling.
Relieving the Pain of a Toothache
It’s important for patients to know that cavities – caused by tooth decay – don’t go away on their own, and it’s important to get them taken care of sooner rather than later. When cavities do happen and you are miserable suffering from a toothache, here are some things you can do to help manage the discomfort while you wait to see the dentist.
- Rinse your mouth with a saltwater solution consisting of one teaspoon of salt with an 8-ounce glass of warm water.
- Apply a cold compress to the affected area for 20-minute periods, repeating the application every few hours.
- Try an over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication to help reduce and control the pain and inflammation. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are good choices, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s specifications for the proper dosage.
The above recommendations are intended to help provide comfort until a dentist can see you. So, if you are experiencing tooth pain or new pain, you should request an appointment with your local family dentist while performing any pain management techniques at home. If you are experiencing any of the following signs or symptoms, these are indications that an emergency dentist should see you.
- Sudden tooth loss
- Tooth pain that has lasted for more than two hours
- Pain that keeps you awake and/or that radiates to your neck, jaw, or ear
- Swelling has begun around the pain or infection source
- Cracked or broken tooth
While the scenarios above require a call to an emergency dentist, the situations below are reasons to request an appointment to be seen by your dentist at the soonest opportunity.
- You are experiencing bleeding in your mouth
- You have a growth or sore in your mouth that doesn’t go away
- You have a metal taste in your mouth and previously had an amalgam filling
- Your jaw is popping
Request an appointment with your dentist in Edwardsville, IL, if you are experiencing a toothache.
Request an appointment and see why we are the best dentist in Edwardsville, IL, for you and your family. If you have a toothache, we can not only help make the pain and discomfort go away, but we can help identify the source, too, to make sure that the tooth pain doesn’t reoccur anytime soon. And the team at Hite Family Dentistry wants to partner with you to set you on a path to good oral health.
We take great pride in serving our patients, and we’re confident you’ll quickly see why. Check out our testimonials to see what others have to say, and experience what sets the Hite Family Dentistry team apart from other local dentists. We are attentive to the unique needs of each one of our patients and provide the utmost in optimal treatment plans to protect your oral health and keep tooth decay from spoiling your quality of life.
So whether you have a toothache or want to make a change for the better in your oral care, request an appointment to see Dr. Benjamin R Hite and the team at Hite Family Dentistry today.