What to Do About a Toothache
Toothaches can be caused by a variety of problems. You may have a piece of food stuck between your teeth or been recently bumped or hit in the mouth. In severe cases, your toothache may be caused by a severe cavity, infection in your gum or an abscess. Regardless of the reason for your toothache, you are going to want pain relief while you schedule your appointment with our Clermont dentist for an emergency visit.
Dental Emergencies that Cause Tooth and Gum Pain
In some instances, your toothache may be a dental emergency. If your tooth has cracked, chipped or come loose, it is considered an emergency that requires immediate dental care. If you see or taste discharge, you could have an abscess, which is a severe infection.
Symptoms of a Toothache
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, especially if they are accompanied by a fever, you should consider it a dental emergency that requires immediate treatment.
- Difficulty Sleeping Due to the Pain
- Discharge or Puss
- Dull or Throbbing Pain
- Obvious Signs of Tooth Trauma, Including Cracks and Chips
- Pain Persists for More than 48 Hours
- Sudden, Severe Tooth Sensitivity
- Swelling or Inflammation of the Face or Gums
1. Rinse Your Mouth with Warm Salt Water
If you have a toothache and suspect it may be a gum infection or inflammation, you can rinse your mouth with plain warm water or warm salt water. Rinsing with plain warm water can help clear your mouth of any food particles and help alleviate pain. Rinsing with warm salt water will help draw out any infection and provide temporary pain relief until you can see a qualified dentist to diagnose and treat the source of your tooth pain.
2. Floss Your Teeth
In some instances, your tooth pain may be caused by a food particle lodged between your teeth. In this instance, you should floss your teeth to remove the food particle. If you cannot find any food particles or reach the item that is stuck between your teeth and/or the pain persists, you will need to schedule an appointment with a dentist to examine your teeth and gums and removed anything lodged between your teeth.
3. Take an Anti-Inflammatory
An anti-inflammatory, like Ibuprofen, can help reduce inflammation and pain. This does not cure your toothache. Instead, it temporarily dulls the pain until you can see a dentist to determine the causes of your tooth pain and receive treatment. It is important to take the anti-inflammatory according to the directions. Placing the pill against your gums can cause injuries to your gums, resulting in more pain.
4. Place a Cold Cloth to Your Cheek or an Icepack
If your gum, jaw or face is swollen, you can apply a damp, cool cloth to your cheek to help reduce the swelling. This works best for tooth or mouth pain that has been caused by getting hit in the mouth with an object or bumping your mouth. If the injury has caused a tooth to crack or become loose, it will need prompt dental treatment. If the tooth has been knocked out, it is important to save the tooth by wrapping it in a moist cloth and see a dentist as soon as possible so that the tooth can be replaced in the socket.
5. Consider an Oral Pain Relief Gel
An oral pain relieving gel can help numb tooth and gum pain. To use, this item is placed directly on the gum, not the tooth, to help relieve pain. However, this method should be used sparingly and only until you can reach the offices of our Clermont dentist.
6. Call Our Dentist in Clermont
Most reasons for tooth pain require a visit to our dentist in Clermont in order to have your teeth and gums examined and to receive prompt treatment. Our dentist recommends scheduling an emergency appointment if your tooth pain is severe, lasts longer than three days or you can see or feel damage to your teeth. Getting prompt treatment can reduce the need for major dental procedures, like a tooth extraction.
To schedule an appointment with our Florida dentist, call us at 352-989-5815.
