Best Ways to Manage Oral Pain Until You Can See Us
Posted on 2/8/2021 by Fairmount Dental Center
There are many reasons you might suddenly develop a toothache or other oral pain. Oral pain can be debilitating enough to interfere with your ability to work, eat, and sleep comfortably. You should always let us know if you start experiencing pain or other unusual symptoms so we can identify if there is a serious problem and help you get relief. Here are some tips for managing your discomfort until we are able to see you.
Over-the-Counter Medications
As with any other type of physical pain, a toothache can often be helped by taking an over-the-counter painkiller such as Tylenol or Advil. Make sure you only take the recommended dosage, and if using aspirin, swallow it instead of placing it against your tooth or gums, which can be damaging. If your pain is severe and does not go away after taking a painkiller, or if you have other symptoms like a fever, chills, or difficulty breathing, seek emergency care as this could be a sign of a serious infection.
Ice
Applying ice to the area that hurts can help alleviate your pain until your appointment with us. In addition to numbing the area, ice also reduces swelling. Instead of regular ice or an ice pack, you can also use a bag of frozen vegetables, a towel soaked in cold water, or any other kind of cold compress.
Clean Your Mouth
Sometimes, toothaches can be caused by small, sharp food particles like nuts or popcorn kernels lodged in between your teeth or under the gum line. Brushing and flossing your teeth thoroughly may be enough to get rid of food particles or other irritating debris. If not, try rinsing your mouth with warm salt water to further loosen debris and reduce swelling and inflammation.
If none of these methods help to manage your discomfort, or if your pain gets worse and is accompanied by other symptoms, you should seek emergency treatment. Call our office today if you have oral pain.
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