Toothache

I still remember when I had my first tooth ache, I was not able to sleep, eat or do anything else. For me it was an agonizing episode. We all experience it some time or the other. It is one thing which always keeps us on our toes and will not let us do anything else. But what it is that causes so much pain, restlessness and how it can treated?

Tooth pain is no doubt a very pesky experience and it often manifests a problem that requires a professional attention. It can be a pain in the tooth and/or surrounding structures due to dental diseases or a referred pain by non-dental diseases.

The dental pain can be due to more than one cause, and is generally felt as a constant, sharp, throbbing or intermittent type that refuses to go away. 

The symptoms of tooth pain include extreme inflammation around the tooth, bleeding and sinking gums, bleeding and discharge from the tooth and it can be triggered by temperature changes such as hot and cold sensitivity, pressure applied to the tooth or injury to the tooth.

Causes of a toothache 

• Decayed tooth

• Dentin hypersensitivity

• Apical periodontitis

• Alveolar osteitis

• Abscessed tooth

• Damaged tooth

• Broken filling

• Bruxism

• Gums disease

• Sinusitis

• Wisdom teeth (Third molars)

• Obstructive sleep apnea

• Temporo-Mandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

• Upcoming heart attack

• Beginning of angina

• Certain nerve disorders

Toothache treatment 

We usually avoid going to the dentist, but this is the time when we have no choice. Most of the toothaches need dental care, so if you are having a toothache that lasts for more than 1 or 2 days, it is severe, or you are having fever, ear pain, pain while opening your mouth then visit to the dentist is a must. It should be treated early, or else it can get worse. If your dental pain is left unattended then it will lead to pulp infection causing dental abscess, spreading infection to other parts of the face and possibly even to the blood stream. 

The nature of treatment for your dental pain will depend on the cause of the pain, so your dentist will inspect your mouth and if required may carry out an x-ray to find out the problem.

After knowing the exact cause your dentist will decide the treatment.

Home remedies for toothache

Here are some natural remedies which you can try at home for dental pain relief:

• Onion: The antibacterial and antiseptic properties of onion play an important role in toothache relief. Chewing onion for at-least 2-3 minutes can eliminate the germs in the mouth which are responsible for the tooth pain. Also by keeping a small sized onion on the painful area can heal the pain to a great extent.

• Warm salt water: Mix a teaspoon of salt in lukewarm water and rinse your mouth completely. It will disinfect the area around the affected tooth, thereby reducing swelling and inflammation. Repeat this method as many times as you can as it is very useful in the case of toothaches.

• Garlic: Garlic has strong antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and other therapeutic benefits. To cure tooth pain, mix 2 or 3 garlic cloves along with 1 tbsp of salt to make a paste. If the paste is very dry then add little drops of olive oil into it. Apply the paste on the affected area to minimize the pain. Repeat this home remedy for few days if required. Chewing 1 or 2 cloves of garlic can also yield positive effects. 

• Apply ice: Wrap the ice cube in a thin cloth or towel and use it over the painful tooth for 15 minutes. You can also apply ice on your cheek, over the affected tooth. Ice serves as a nerve blocker causing numbness over the tooth and as an anesthetic agent.

• Pepper: Both pepper and salt mixed together can prove an outstanding cure for the aching tooth. As it has both anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities it heals sensitive tooth, toothaches, bleeding gums and enhances oral hygiene.

• Liquor: Liquor acts as an anti-bacterial agent and decreases pain when absorbed by the gums. Rinse your mouth with shot of whisky, brandy, vodka, or any alcohol and it will give you a big relief from that bad toothache.

• Clove: Clove is an ancient method to treat any tooth pain. It consists of anti-oxidant, analgesic properties and an anti-bacterial chemical called eugenol. Chew 1 or 2 cloves near the sore tooth, or use clove powder, or add few drops of clove oil in half-filled glass of water and rinse your mouth. It can give you much awaited relief.

• Asafetida (Hing): Add little quantity of asafetida to lemon juice and slightly warm it. Then apply the mixture to the painful tooth with a cotton swab, by doing this you will experience instant pain relief. Another method is put fried asafetida with butter in the tooth cavity for toothache relief.

Ways to prevent toothache 

If we follow few simple precautionary measures, then it’s possible to avert toothaches and other dental complications. The ideal way to do this is to keep your teeth and gums in a healthy state. To achieve this you should:

• Restrict your intake of sugary foods and drinks; you should have them only as an occasional treat or during mealtimes.

• Brush your teeth twice daily using fluoride toothpaste.

• Floss your teeth daily once and use mouthwash if required.

• Quit smoking, as it aggravates dental problems.

Make sure you have regular dental check-ups and children should have check-ups every 6 months, so that cavities if any present can be spotted and treated on time.