Sound familiar… “My tooth hurts” OR “My tooth is killing me!”
If you have never used this phrase or a similar, perhaps profanity-laden description of how your tooth is feeling, consider yourself lucky. It’s not uncommon to hear someone describe a toothache as the worst pain they’ve ever felt. Worst pain ever!? We don’t want to hear “my tooth hurts” OR “my tooth is killing me” coming out of anyone’s mouth! How can we keep this from happening? (If you actually are experiencing a toothache and your complaint is “My tooth hurts”, please call our offices so we can help you, and feel free to skip past this whole part about preventing a toothache!)
You ask, “how to get rid of a toothache”? The best way to deal with tooth pain is to never have one in the first place. This means proper (or better yet: amazing) home care and regular dental checkups. Home care is where the magic happens. The dentist can’t keep you from getting cavities, breaking teeth, or experiencing bone loss… that is up to you. Flossing and brushing regularly, drinking enough water, and avoiding a carbohydrate filled diet are what will keep your teeth from having problems with cavities. Our job, as dentists, is to help you minimize the damage when you do get a cavity, show signs of grinding or clenching, or show signs of bone loss around your teeth.
To recap, to prevent tooth pain or a toothache, brush and floss at least once daily, avoid snacking (studies show high frequency of carbs/acidic food and drink are more damaging than the total amount you eat), repair teeth at the first sign of cavities to minimize damage, wear bite guards when recommended to prevent tooth wear and tooth fractures, and follow your dentist’s recommendations for gum health.
Sounds easy enough, but of course it isn’t. We’ve all got too much stuff to prevent in life… crabgrass, hair loss, heart disease, forest fires. Something’s got to give! We understand that sometimes dental care gets put on the back burner, but when it stays on the back burner for too long, “My tooth hurts” is the phrase that you’ll be yelling!
So now, we’re back to the dreaded phrase, “My tooth is killing me!!”
The good news is that in the case of almost every toothache, the reason is easy to discover and easy to fix! In the case of a terrible toothache, usually the culprit is an infection within the tooth. Germs that reach the core of the tooth, whether by a cavity that went too deep or a cracked tooth can’t be cleaned with a toothbrush and floss. The infection simply needs to be cleaned from inside the tooth.
Unfortunately, tooth pain can’t be healed using a home toothache remedy or any kind of medication (although some over the counter can often give a little temporary relief). Antibiotics would be given if there is swelling, which will relieve the pain, but only as long as you are on antibiotics. Once you are finished with your cycle of antibiotics, the pain will come back, unless the infection within the tooth has been cleaned out. So, there’s your toothache remedy … call our office, so we can treat your tooth and stop the pain!!
Helping patients in tooth pain takes top priority at Thomas Anderson and Associates. If you have a toothache, give us a call… we are here to help you and will get you in today!