Severe toothache. What should you do if you have a severe toothache?
Toothache can be quite unpredictable, and sometimes it catches you unawares at the most inopportune time, for example, on a business trip or vacation. In this case, the patient does not always have the opportunity to immediately visit the dentist, but the discomfort that occurs in acute pain is almost impossible to tolerate. In this case, the main task is to find a way to alleviate unpleasant sensations and try to schedule a visit to the doctor promptly.
Why does an acute toothache occur?
Pain is almost always a symptom of an inflammatory process and does not just appear. One of the most likely causes is pulpitis, which often follows untreated tooth decay. This disease inflames the pulp - the soft tissue that fills the cavity of the tooth, which contains a lot of nerve endings. Hence the pain, which, as a rule, increases in the lying position, so attacks of acute pain often occur at night. In pulpitis, the pain is sharp, throbbing, it can be felt not only in neighboring teeth, but even in the ear or throat.
Even sharp toothache is often a companion of periodontitis, that is, inflammation of the top of the root of the tooth. In addition to painful sensations in periodontitis, the patient may be bothered by swelling of the gum, cysts, purulent discharge. Acute pain is a consequence of mechanical trauma to the tooth or the tissues around it. Hyperesthesia or hypersensitivity of teeth also causes pain, which passes quickly enough, but brings a lot of discomfort.
What is the danger of acute toothache?
If you dull the pain on your own, it will only bring relief for a while, and then it will come back again and again. This is fraught with the fact that the pain will become chronic, inflammation will be launched and will lead to serious health problems. It is quite realistic to lose a tooth if you do not treat the disease itself, which provokes attacks of acute pain. The earlier you make an appointment with a specialist, the easier and faster the treatment will be.
How to relieve toothache at home
Of course, the best option is not to self-medicate, but to seek the help of a dentist who will conduct a diagnosis, determine the cause of pain and offer a plan to solve the problem. However, we realize that it is not always possible to visit the doctor immediately, so before the visit you can try to relieve the pain with folk remedies.
These include:
- Gargling with medicinal herbs: for example, sage, oregano, oak bark, chamomile, calendula help well;
- Taking painkillers. Remember that it should be carried out with the utmost care, you can not use potent drugs, especially antibiotics without a doctor's prescription;
- Massage of certain points on the body, in particular, on the hands between the index finger and thumb;
- Compresses (not hot ones - heating a sore tooth is strongly discouraged).
To avoid thinking about the pain, you can try to distract yourself, switch your attention to a hobby or work. Active activity in this case is even welcomed, and lying down, on the contrary, is not worth it, because in the lying position, the pressure on the painful tooth is likely to only increase. If the pain is provoked by external conditions, for example, a temperature difference in the oral cavity (hot tea after cold ice cream is a classic), then you need to eliminate such an impact as soon as possible, and try not to chew on the sick side.
Remember that self-medication can be fraught with serious consequences, and all home remedies only reduce the manifestation of symptoms, but do not fight the disease itself, which caused the pain. Therefore, painful sensations are sure to return again, if you do not visit the dentist in time.
