How to ease tooth pain until you can get to the dentist
BY Dr. Gerard DiFusco
Tooth pain, nine out of ten adults agree, is right up there with migraines, bruised shins, and gruesome chainsaw accidents when it comes to agony and grief. Perhaps, though, if you include gruesome chainsaw accidents, the number drops to as low as--seven out of ten. Whatever the numbers, tooth pain is simply hard to bear. It's right there, in your face, you can't get away from it. Tooth pain can cause headaches. Loud noises, soft noises, noises in-between--they all come after you with equal fury. It's like your head is splitting apart. And, perhaps what's even worse, for some tooth pain means you can't stand to chew, meaning you've got to stick with liquids, and if even there the tooth pain has got you at its mercy--because tooth pain means increased sensitivity to heat and cold, and as all food, and all drink, fall somewhere on the spectrum, putting anything in your mouth at all becomes unbearable. Brushing is unbearable. Flossing is unbearable. Sighing, talking, gritting you teeth, jogging, jumping on a trampoline, playing flag football, boxing--all unbearable. Ok, tooth pain, not good. So how can you ease tooth pain until you can get to a dentist?
So, given the unbearable nature of tooth pain as applied to about any human activity you can think of, what can a human do if he finds himself with tooth pain but can't get to a dentist immediately? You might ask: But why would a person with a tooth pain not get to a dentist immediately? Well, what a person does is up to him, but your local dentist isn't running an emergency room, he's day is usually packed with appointments scheduled weeks ahead. He can't drop everything for tooth pain, even if it is a holy terror to live with. Surely he will do the best he can; he'll rearrange things when he can; try to get you in. But chances are good that you'll be on your own for a while, just you and your tooth pain. Now what?
Well, if you really wanted you could go to another dentist for your tooth pain, one who specializes in emergencies and who charges extra for the emergency as well. An emergency procedure could end up costing you two or three times more than you would have paid your regular dentist for the same procedure. If it's a real emergency, of course, it's well worth it, but if it's simply a matter of gritting your teeth and bearing it, no pun intended, for a while, you might want to consider other options.
What are those other options when it comes to tooth pain? How can a person ease tooth pain prior to seeing his dentist? Are there medications for tooth pain? If so, can these medications for tooth pain be purchased over the counter, or do they require a prescription? Are there things I can do for tooth pain that don't include swallowing pills?
These are all very good questions. Yes, there are, to begin with, medications for tooth pain--if you're talking over the counter medications, you're talking about the same sorts of thing you take for a bad headache, backache, etc. Just the regular stuff, good ol' aspirin and so forth, but you'd be surprised at how effective these medications really are. You might want to ask your pharmacist if he can suggest a particularly helpful combination for tooth pain. You might want to ask your dentist if he can suggest a particularly helpful combination for tooth pain. Follow their instructions to the letter. There are some topical over the counter medications to consider as well. Topical medications are medications that you rub directly on to the afflicted tooth and the gums surrounding it. This stuff really numbs those places up, taking the edge off of your pain. Using both internal and external over the counter medications can have a marvelously soothing impact on tooth pain.
Which takes me to my next point. The idea is simply to take the edge off of the tooth pain, not remove it altogether. That's what your dentist does. Let him do it; you're paying him the big bucks, after all. When it comes to tooth pain, concentrate on making your life livable, concentrate doing everything you can medicinally to not be irritable and morose, etc. Gargle warm salt water, take a ibuprofen, lay down, and use an over the counter tooth desensitizer.
ABOUTH THE AUTHOR
Dr. Gerard DiFusco, DDS, and the Webster Dental Center are leaders in Webster cosmetic dentistry. Dr. DiFusco is highly experienced in Smile Makeovers, Dental Implants and Sedation Dentistry. To get more information on how Dr. DiFusco can give you a brilliant smile visit the Webster Dental Center or call 585-872-4400.
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