When you are suffering from a toothache, you should contact your dentist right away to schedule an appointment. While you wait for your appointment, you can use the following tips to relieve the discomfort.
1. Choose the Correct Pain Medications
Ibuprofen and paracetamol are both highly effective against dental pain. If taking just one of these medications does not provide sufficient pain relief, it is possible to take both at the same time, as long as you do not take more than the recommended dose of either one. You should not take aspirin, which increases the risk that you will experience excessive bleeding during dental treatment. If you have allergies that prevent you from taking particular pain medications, ask your pharmacist to recommend an alternative.
2. Try a Salt Water Rinse
Regularly rinsing the mouth with salt water can soothe pain and reduce the proliferation of bacteria. In this way, salt water can lower the risk of your toothache developing into a dangerous infection. Use water that is around room temperature to avoid triggering any temperature sensitivity.
3. Use Gel for Oral Pain
Pharmacies sell various types of gels that are designed to relieve oral pain. These medications provide targeted relief and can provide instant relief. If you are treating toothache in a child, it is important to read the instructions carefully, as not all gels are suitable for use in children.
4. Stick to Softer Foods
Chewing with a painful tooth can be a miserable experience. Ensure you continue to get good nutrition by consuming softer foods, such as soups, stewed vegetables, smoothies, mashed potatoes, and yoghurt. Allow hot foods to cool a little and avoid eating anything frozen, such as ice cream, to avoid triggering temperature sensitivity in your sore tooth. Some people also find that eating very sweet foods can make their toothache worse, so try to stick to savoury options if you can.
5. Avoid Smoking
Smoking is never good for your oral health, but it can be especially dangerous when you already have a toothache. Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that delay healing, which means that you could prolong your toothache by having a cigarette. If you experience cravings that make it difficult to avoid smoking, try using nicotine patches from a pharmacy. You could treat this as an opportunity to take the first step towards quitting smoking for good, which will have significant benefits for your oral and overall health.
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