I Have a Severe Toothache: What Should I Do?

Toothaches occur for a wide range of reasons, from injury to tooth decay. When the pain is severe, it’s hard to focus on anything except your tooth. Relieving some of the pain can help you function until you can find dental care. 

In Frisco, Texas, contact Lee Dental at the first sign of toothache pain. We can diagnose and treat the problem, relieve your pain, and return you to your daily activities. For when you need a home-based pain relief method to bridge the gap between onset and dental visit, try one or more of these solutions as you await treatment. 

Reasons for toothaches

Toothaches range from persistent dull aches to sharp, heavy pain. Many things can cause pain including tooth decay, damage, or even a piece of food caught between teeth or between teeth and gums. We’re looking at you, popcorn hulls. 

The first solution to try for localized dull pain is dental floss. Removing something caught between teeth relieves an ache almost immediately. Other aches could start because of tooth decay and cavities, or you might suffer damage from a traumatic injury. Infections in the soft tissue of teeth might result in an abscess. Gum disease often causes dull aches that are hard to pinpoint within a general area. If you grind your teeth, awake or in your sleep, you might feel a sharper ache. 

Relieving toothache pain before your dentist visit

Severe toothache pain can be very intense, consuming most of your awareness and ability to function. When it’s hours before you can get to our offices, consider these temporary solutions to suppress the extremes of pain. 

Over-the-counter pain relief

Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen can take the edge off of a severe toothache. Remain within the recommended doses provided by the manufacturer. Anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen and naproxen) could also reduce swelling as well as relieve pain. 

Cold compresses

Applying an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel for 15 minutes every two hours constricts blood vessels in the area. This may relieve pain enough that you can sleep through the night.

Use a hot pack

You can also alternate cold compresses with a hot pack to disrupt the pain signals going to your brain. You can make a homemade pack by filling a clean sock with rice and heating it in a microwave oven. 

Rinse with salt water

Salt water is a natural antibacterial and disinfectant. Rinsing with salt water helps reduce swelling and prevents infection. It can also help to clear food particles from your mouth if your toothache makes brushing too painful. 

Peppermint tea/tea bags

Rinsing with peppermint tea or packing a peppermint tea bag near a toothache can help relieve some of the pain. Peppermint contains antioxidant and antibiotic properties as well as menthol, which can alter pain signals, numbing your toothache pain. 

Contact the toothache specialists at Lee Dental, by phone or online, when you have toothache pain.