5 Toothache Pain Relief Tips

You’ve no doubt heard all kinds of old wives’ tales about how to treat a toothache, such as gargling with salt water or rubbing some whiskey on your gums. Some of them actually work to a degree and have some basis in scientific fact, but others are just silly (chewing gum? – that’s more likely to make it worse!). The first step is to understand the cause of your pain, whether it’s bruxism (grinding your teeth), sensitivity, or a hygiene issue like a cavity or gum disease – eventually you’ll have to treat the cause. But in the meantime you can attend to the symptoms in a number of ways. Here are few suggestions that should help to alleviate your mouth pain.

1. Ibuprofen. Perhaps the easiest solution for most people dealing with oral pain is to pop a couple of Advil. Although aspirin products will likely help with the pain to some degree, they’re not a good idea if you have any kind of bleeding (since aspirin is a blood-thinner). And ibuprofen is also indicated for anti-inflammatory purposes, so if there is any swelling, Advil will help a lot more than aspirin. If you’ve ever had braces, you probably know that Advil tends to work best for mouth pain, so don’t hesitate to take it when a tooth is aching, at least until you can see your dentist.
2. Oral pain relievers. There are all kinds of products designed to help reduce the pain associated with a toothache. Anbesol, Orajel, and Kanka are amongst the most popular products and all can be found at your average pharmacy or even grocery store, in most cases. All you have to do is apply these topical gels or liquids, which tend to have a mild numbing effect, in order to achieve instant pain relief. The only caveat is that they are easily rinsed away, so the effects might not last very long.
3. Sensodyne. In some cases, sensitive teeth can be to blame for a toothache. If this seems to be an ongoing issue for you, it’s probably a good idea to start brushing with Sensodyne (or a prescription product) designed to help reduce sensitivity overall. If this doesn’t stop pain in a particular tooth, chances are you have another problem on your hands and you should see a dentist.
4. Proper dental care. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing daily are essential to promoting and maintaining proper oral health. This regimen will help to rid your mouth of the food particles and bacteria that can cling to teeth and get stuck between them and below the gum line, leading to plaque and tartar buildup, as well as more serious issues like cavities and gum disease, just for example. If you want to avoid or treat a toothache, proper dental care is a good place to start.
5. Professional options. There are some problems you’ll need an experienced pro at Willis Dental or your local office to take care of. If, for example, you grind your teeth, you’ll need a bite guard to stop yourself from doing so at night. If you have tartar buildup or gum disease you probably need a deep cleaning. And if your tooth is rotten, you may have to get it pulled. These are all things a dentist or oral surgeon can attend to, and if your toothache is bad enough, you definitely need to see a professional for help.