Anyone who has been plagued by toothache knows: This pain is nasty. These five tips will ease the pain until your dentist appointment.
There are several physical ailments to deal with in a lifetime, but toothache is arguably the # 1 most hated condition. “Anyone who feels pain in their teeth or gums should go to the dentist as quickly as possible,” But what if you don’t get appointment hours or even days later? Then these tips can help quickly and effectively.
What Helps Quickly With Acute Toothache?
While waiting for the appointment at the dentist, you can use these 5 tips to relieve your pain in the short term:
Pain Tablets Numb The Pain
For many sufferers, taking pain pills is the first choice for acute toothache. Are Painkillers a Good Emergency Solution? “Only to a limited extent,” says Kühnemann, because pain killers should not be taken over a long period.
With over-the-counter tablets such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, therefore pay attention to the dose limit. Basically: “If the pain is so severe that you have to take pills, you’d better go to an emergency service,” advises the expert. To bridge the gap until then, a pain pill is ok.
However, many men try to avoid visiting the dentist with pain pills and justify this because they are working or cannot get an appointment promptly. “As an emergency patient, you are always accepted in practice. In this case, there is also the option of receiving a certificate for a visit, a sick note or a certificate of incapacity for work, provided that the incapacity for work is present,” explains Kühnemann. So no excuse for slackers!
Fluoride Toothpaste Protects Sensitive Tooth Necks
A common cause of toothache is exposed tooth necks. Acute pain comes mainly from the sensitivity of the channels, which react to temperature stimuli. “In this case, fluoride-containing toothpaste or gels help,” says Kühnemann. You can apply them correctly by brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and then just spitting them out without rinsing them with water.
Men with sensitive tooth necks should use at least one of these toothpaste regularly:
- Sensodyne pronamel for daily care minimizes pain sensitivity with everyday use
- Apa Care tooth enamel is supposed to help repair tooth necks damaged by acid
- Parodontax also works against bleeding gums
- Elmex Repair & Prevent especially for sensitive teeth
Tip: The fluoride content of toothpaste can be read off the label and should be at least 1400 ppm fluoride for adults. A well-known fluoride-containing gel is, for example, Elmex jelly . It can relieve pain in acute cases because the fluoride wraps itself around the tooth like a protective coat and makes it less sensitive. When used for a more extended period, fluoride strengthens the tooth enamel and offers less surface area for caries to attack.
Cold Compresses Help Reduce Swelling
A cold compress can help relieve swelling in your mouth. This is how it works:
- Wrap a few ice cubes or a cooling compress in a tea towel.
- Place the bundle on the outside of the cheek with light pressure.
- Hold it briefly.
The cold has a numbing effect on the pain and can help reduce swelling if there is inflammation.
Saltwater And Chamomile Tea Inhibit Inflammation
“These home applications primarily help against inflammation of the gums,” says Kühnemann. Acute pain from gingivitis occurs, for example, when wisdom teeth are in the eruption. Rinsing with warm salt water or lukewarm chamomile tea has an anti-inflammatory effect and thus helps to relieve pain and accelerate the regeneration process. This is how it works: Add a teaspoon of salt to a small saucepan full of boiling water for the saline solution. When the solution cools, rinse your mouth with it for 30 seconds. The same goes for the cooled chamomile tea.
“Basically, with all home remedies for toothache, you have to be aware that the toothache mostly originates from the inside of the teeth,” says the dentist. “Teeth are hollow, with blood vessels and the nerve running through them, which can be exposed to various stimuli, for example, temperature, tooth decay or a fracture.” You won’t get any further there except with fluoride, eugenol (clove oil) or tablets.
Clove Oil Contains A Natural Ingredient For Toothache
Clove oil is considered an effective household remedy that can relieve toothache in the short term. In 2010 it was even voted medicinal plant of the year. “The active ingredient in the clove, which has a pain-relieving effect, is called eugenol and is also found in dentistry products,” explains the dentist. The essential oil has an anaesthetic (numbing) effect. If you want to treat tooth pain, you can, for example, soak a cotton swab in water (for the correct dilution) and put 1-2 drops of the oil on it. Then you brush the painful tooth.
If you have gum problems, you can also make a mouthwash yourself with clove oil. In such a Way: 1 lukewarm cup of water and two drops of oil stir. Move the liquid extensively in the mouth for up to three days, 1-2 times a day. If that doesn’t help, you should see a doctor as quickly as possible.
Tip: Even mouth drawing oils often contain cloves. Admittedly, oil pulling takes getting used to. But if you are prone to dental problems, it should be used in daily dental care to protect yourself against toothache in the long term.
Important note for fathers-to-be: Pregnant women should never consume clove oil during pregnancy! Because the active ingredient in the oil has a contracting effect on the muscles and can trigger contractions at an early stage.
Conclusion: No Home Remedy Can Replace A Visit To The Dentist
There are many causes of toothache:
- Tooth decay
- Pressing wisdom teeth
- Fractures of the tooth
- Gum disease
- An abscess on the tooth
- Worn-out tooth enamel
Not every pain indicates a serious illness, but this judgment is up to an expert and should not be made as a self-diagnosis. Clove oil, saltwater or cold compresses make the time before or after the visit to the dentist bearable, but they are not a substitute for a visit to the dentist. So, to all the scared rabbits out there: the sooner it is, the faster it is!
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