What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a dental emergency? In most cases, pain is synonymous with dental emergency cases. It explains why dentists first deal with pain before addressing a problem. Dental pain can be a source of frustration, stress and can significantly affect your quality of life. For instance, you are likely to have insufficient sleep when experiencing an excruciating toothache. Thus, it is critical to understand the various ways you can manage dental pain as you rush to an emergency dental clinic.
Use Aspirin — Aspirin is a well-known painkiller that works by blocking the body's pain signals. Thus, taking aspirin when you experience pain in the teeth or gums goes a long way in making you comfortable as you wait for a dentist. However, some people misuse aspirin, and they end up causing more harm than good. For example, some people place an aspirin tablet directly on a pain site and let it dissolve slowly. However, it is harmful because aspirin has ingredients that give it reactivate properties. Therefore, when you place a tablet between your gums and cheeks, the chances are high that it will burn the soft tissue, leaving you with a wound in the mouth. The best way to take aspirin to manage toothache is to swallow it with water.
Apply Cold or Hot Pack — Cryotherapy and heat therapies have been used for decades to manage pain, and it is no different with toothaches. Today, you can buy portable heat and cold packs from a dental pharmacy and use them whenever you have a toothache. All you have to do is place a cold or a hot pack directly on the painful site. Cold packs work by numbing the nerves around an aching tooth; hence, you do not feel the pain signals. It is the exact reason why you should apply cold packs on a sprained joint. Heat therapy, on the other hand, helps raise your pain threshold. Therefore, you feel the warmth from a heat pack instead of a toothache. Notably, a single cold or heat pack can last a couple of hours, giving you enough time to reach the dental clinic comfortably.
Rinse with Warm-Salty Water — Besides cold/heat packs and medication, another strategy for managing a toothache is to rinse the affected area with warm salty water. First, the salt helps disinfect potential infections causing the pain. On the other hand, warm water helps relieve pain, albeit temporarily. If you decide to use the technique on your way to a dentist, you need a flask to maintain the temperature of the saline solution. Remember not to swallow the salt solution because of the risk of infection. Although warm salt water does not numb the pain completely, it is better than other natural pain management remedies.
For more information, contact an emergency dentist near you.
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