How to Get Rid of a Toothache

Toothaches are among the most common reasons why people visit dental ERs. The pain in any one of your teeth can be unbearable, having that there are nerve endings inside each tooth. As such, your tooth pain is likely to be accompanied by other symptoms like persistent headaches, jaw pain, sinuses, to mention a few. Fortunately, there are ways you can employ to get rid of your pain before you visit a dentist near you.

What Is a Toothache?

It is a type of pain that occurs in your oral cavity, with a particular focus on one or more of your teeth. Many toothaches are severe, which is why many patients need an emergency dentist near them for urgent treatment.

5 Common Causes of Toothaches

Toothaches come about due to different reasons. Identifying the primary cause of your toothache is paramount in finding the best pain relief for a toothache. The common causes of toothaches are:

1. Dentin hypersensitivity – is a condition that leads to heightened tooth sensitivity. Without tooth sensitivity treatment, you will experience problems when using your mouth, especially when exposed to foods and drinks of different temperatures.
2. Dental cavities – feature holes that form on teeth as a result of an infection. A cavity develops gradually when plaque settles on teeth for a long time and begins to corrode the enamels thereof. Cavities are common on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth but can also occur anywhere in your mouth. Without treatment, dental cavities turn into severe tooth decay that has more advanced symptoms than a mere tooth cavity.
3. Dental trauma – when your face is exerted with too much external force, you may suffer an injury even in your mouth. It is a common occurrence for persons engaged in high-contact sports, as well as among children and teenagers. Dental trauma is experienced more on the front teeth than the back teeth. Toothaches from dental traumas should be very alarming, particularly since they are often accompanied by other urgent symptoms like prolonged bleeding and swelling.
4. Abscessed tooth – features a pocket of pus that usually forms on the roots of teeth due to infections. The pus-filled pocket at the root of your tooth will not only cause severe pain but also swelling and reddening of your gums. Without treatment, the abscess will allow the spread of the infection to other parts of your oral cavity.
5. Impacted tooth – is a tooth that erupts improperly so that part of the tooth remains stuck underneath the gum tissue. This is a common problem for wisdom teeth, the last set of molars to grow, usually between the ages of 16 and 25 years. Wisdom tooth pain is unbearable right from the instance the tooth begins to grow. However, as the tooth continues to grow in the wrong direction, it increases tooth pain and soreness of the gums.

​How to Manage A Toothache

​One thing you must acknowledge is that getting to the root of your tooth pain is the only way to completely treat and relieve your pain. As such, you should visit a dentist in Winter Haven, FL, for diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, although they do not permanently treat your pain, some tips to help manage your oral pain include the following:

1. Over-the-counter pain medication – they can help manage your pain levels before you get to a dentist’s office.
2. Keep your head elevated – when going to sleep you want to ensure that your head is a little higher than the rest of your body. This helps control the blood flow in your head. The reason is that the pooling of blood in your head will increase the pain and swelling.
3. Consider a saltwater rinse – salt will act as a disinfectant and cleanser that will destroy active bacteria in your mouth and lead to a soothing effect.
4. Watch what you eat – some foods will only make your pain worse. They include hard, crunchy foods, acidic foods and drinks, and too hot or too cold foods. Stick to soft foods instead, and regulate their temperatures accordingly.
5. Cold compress – low temperatures against your cheek can improve your comfort levels by reducing swelling as well as relieving some of your pain.