Have you ever woken up at night with a throbbing toothache? Toothaches are common, and they can be excruciating. Often, the pain worsens when you least expect it, and you are usually left wondering what to do next. Well, toothaches are a dental emergency, and a trip to an emergency dentist's clinic should see you get the help you need. That said, you should avoid some pain relief remedies as you prepare to make a trip to an emergency dental clinic.
Avoid Placing Aspirin Directly on a Tooth
Aspirin is an excellent and highly effective pain medication. Therefore, you might be tempted to place an aspirin tablet directly on an aching tooth so that it dissolves and enters the bloodstream for fast action. However, it is sometimes ineffective to get aspirin into your bloodstream, and it often has side effects. For instance, aspirin can be acidic, and placing it on your gums burns the soft tissue. Moreover, aspirin is a known blood thinner. Therefore, it can cause severe bleeding if you require minor dental surgery to address a toothache. The best way to use aspirin as a pain reliever for a toothache is to swallow it whole.
Avoid Chewing Ice
Cold therapy is another excellent pain reliever for toothaches. However, cold therapy does not mean that you should carry a cool box full of ice cubes and chew them on your trip to an emergency dental clinic. Some individuals chew ice cubes thinking direct contact will numb an aching tooth better. Unfortunately, chewing ice cubes can chip or crack the affected tooth and surrounding teeth. In addition, if you have a large cavity, the walls of the affected tooth will most likely break when you chew hard ice cubes. Thus, it is advisable to use cold therapy on the outside of your mouth and not the inside. Simply place a cold pack directly on the painful area of the face and hold it there. Cold therapy reduces swelling and relieves a toothache.
Avoid Clenching Jaws
When you have a migraine, periodically applying pressure around the temple area helps relieve the pain, albeit temporarily. However, it does not mean that clenching your jaws and teeth relieves toothaches. In fact, clenching your jaws has the same effect as grinding your teeth, and you might worsen your condition. For instance, clenching your jaws could knock out a loose tooth and damage neighbouring ones because of the force. Therefore, rather than grind or clench your teeth hard, use other recommended pain relief methods for better results.
For more information about what to do when you have a toothache, contact a local dentist.
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