Dealing With a Toothache on Your Own
If you have a toothache, then you want to make sure you know how to deal with it until you can get in to the dentist. However, if it is severe, then you should get in to see an emergency dentist, even if it is after hours or on the weekend. If you feel as if you can hang in there until regular business hours if you can find some relief, then you want to follow the tips below to get that relief for yourself.
Treat the pain and inflammation with over-the-counter products.
If your tooth is hurting, then you should take an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever that you can purchase from the store, but the chances are good that you already have a bottle sitting in your medicine cabinet. The anti-inflammatory will help to bring down inflammation, which in return helps to take the pain away temporarily. Ibuprofen is an example of this type of medication.
Use ice for pain relief.
As long as your toothache isn't being caused from an exposed nerve, you can get a good amount of instant relief by gently biting on an ice cube with that tooth. However, if you have an exposed nerve, this will intensify the pain. So, if you find this hurts you, don't do it. However, you also want to hold an ice pack on your jaw if you have such a bad toothache that your jaw is swollen or your jaw is also hurting.
Keep your mouth clean.
You want to make sure you keep your mouth clean so you don't add to the problem you are already having. Along with gently brushing your teeth as you should, you also want to rinse with warm salt water throughout the day. Along with helping to create a cleaner dental environment, the warm salt water will also help to relieve you of much of that pain and it will help to fend off infection if this is what is causing the pain.
Use natural products known for helping with tooth pain.
You may have some other products in the house already to help with a toothache. A couple of good examples of things that can take tooth pain away include fresh garlic put on the tooth and putting clove oil on a cotton ball on the tooth. Since these are things commonly used for cooking, you may have them in your kitchen right now.
Once you see a dentist, they will evaluate your tooth and recommend the necessary treatment. In some cases, you may need the tooth removed and replaced with a tooth implant, which is a false tooth implanted in your jaw bone.