Tips on How to Get Rid of a Toothache

One of the most common dental problems is a toothache. For some people, they are lucky enough to have it treated in general dentistry. Unfortunately for others, a toothache is a reason enough for them to seek emergency dental care.

When a toothache occurs, it is a symptom of something happening inside your tooth. How you go about caring for your hurting tooth will determine how healthy your mouth can be in the end.

What Is A Toothache? 

It is a dental problem where the patient is subjected to a lot of pain caused by an infection or damage to a tooth. Teeth aches are mostly due to infections that make their way past the different layers of a tooth, into the insides. For some people, however, a toothache can be a result of an accident or injury that caused a heavy impact on the tooth, causing a break or crack on the tooth.

Understanding the Pain Behind A Toothache

Any patient complaining of a toothache at Fox Creek Dental should resolve to seek dental help from a family dentist near them. Often, the initial pain you experience when your tooth is damaged is not as severe as it will be as the damage progresses.

What happens during a tooth infection like dental decay is that the bacteria breach the external layers of the tooth. A tooth consists of many different layers, with the enamel and dentin being the outermost. When bacteria and acids corrode the enamel and penetrate the dentin, you may start to experience some discomfort in your tooth. With time, this damage will make way to the central parts of your tooth, particularly the pulp chamber.

The pulp chamber houses the blood vessels, nerve endings, and other soft tissues. When this part is infected, the nerve endings are triggered to respond with pain. The pain you experience is because the nerve endings are also being damaged by the infection.

While this whole process explains the gradual damage of a tooth during an infection, it may happen all at once. For example, a heavy blow on your face can cause your tooth to crack or break. If this break or crack goes beyond the exterior layers of your tooth, then a toothache may occur.

​How to Get Rid of a Toothache

Tips to help you get rid of your tooth pain only apply if you detect the discomfort early. The last thing you want is to allow the damage to progress so much that the tooth becomes numb from any kind of feeling. The following tips should help you get rid of your pain:

1. Saltwater rinse – a Broomfield dentist will tell you that a saltwater rinse is the first-line treatment. It is the best way to get rid of any active bacteria in your mouth. Gargle some salt water to disinfect your mouth and get rid of any loose food debris in your mouth. It is also a great way to speed up the healing process of any open wounds you may have at the site of the toothache.
2. Cold compress – often a toothache is accompanied by significant swelling. The inflammation is expected as a response of the immune system. As the pain graduates, the swelling may also spread to other parts of your face. Cold compression is a great way to mitigate the swelling while easing your pain. It works by constricting the blood vessels in that side of your mouth, hence alleviating the pain and swelling.
3. Garlic cloves – this food item has proven to have many health benefits, including in sorting out your dental health problems. Chew on a garlic clove, and allow the crushed bits to make way to the site of tooth pain. You can also determine to crush the garlic into a paste form, sprinkle a little salt, and then apply the paste to the tooth area. The garlic will relieve the pain and kill any active bacteria in the site.
4. Vanilla extract – it has numbing effects thanks to the alcohol contents in it. It is also great for promoting healing, thanks to its antioxidant properties.

Hydrogen peroxide rinse – this rinse can help kill bacteria, promote healing, and relieve pain and inflammation. Be careful to dilute the hydrogen peroxide with equal parts water, and avoid swallowing the rinse.