What Is A Toothache And What Symptoms Should You Look For?

If you experience any pain in or around your tooth, you have a toothache. You can get minor or severe toothaches. When you have a minor toothache, it usually affects your gums and causes inflammation around that area.

However, severe toothaches require a professional approach for treatment. The main causes of a severe toothache are infections, cavities, and other dental problems that signal an underlying health condition. If your toothache is accompanied by a fever and unbearable pain, you need emergency dental care.

An untreated severe toothache can lead to other health complications. For instance, if it’s caused by an infection, it can spread throughout other organs in your body and even your brain. If you are experiencing a severe toothache, you must contact your dentist before it causes further complications.

5 Symptoms of a Toothache

Even though toothaches vary, there are still the following five common symptoms you must be on the lookout for.

Throbbing tooth pain.
Swelling in your gums.
Extremely bad breath.
A numb ache that won’t go away.
Headaches, a fever, and chills.

How is a Toothache Treated?

A visit to your dentist will help you determine the cause of your toothache. Depending on how severe your symptoms are, your dentist can recommend a dental X-ray. They can decide the most ideal treatment for you.

There are various dental treatments available when you visit your dentist.

These include the following:

Tooth Extraction

On the other hand, there are times when the damage cannot be saved. This is when a tooth extraction is necessary, and your infected tooth will be removed to save you from further infection. The good news is that you can replace your tooth with a dental bridge or implant once you’ve healed from your extraction.

Home Remedies for Your Toothache

It’s essential to determine what the cause of your toothache is to find the best possible relief for it sooner. In certain instances, you must use what you have at home to reduce your toothache. The following are recommended home remedies that can cure or ease your toothache.

Saltwater Rinse

You’d be surprised to find how many people rely on saltwater to fix a toothache. Saltwater is very effective as it acts as a natural disinfectant. A saltwater rinse helps heal your wounds and reduce any inflammation.

Medicine

Your dentist prescribes medication such as antibiotics and pain killers. These should help ease any pain associated with an infected tooth and clear up a mild infection. But, if there’s an underlying medical condition, medications won’t make it go away completely.

Dental Fillings and Crowns

In some cases, your toothache is caused by cavities. If this is the case, and it depends on whether it’s a minor or large cavity, your dentist recommends a filling or a crown. This removes any damaged portion of your tooth and fills the cavity with a strong dental filling material to strengthen and reduce any further damage.

Root Canal Therapy

There are instances where the bacteria buildup invades your tooth pulp. The connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves in your tooth become inflamed. Your dentist cleans your tooth surface, drains the pulp, and fills the tooth chamber with protective material that’s secured by a crown.

Cloves

Clove is a spice that’s been used for generations to cure various illnesses and symptoms. Clove oil has many uses, and it has been praised for how it numbs pain associated with toothaches. The natural antiseptics found in cloves help reduce inflammation caused by bacteria buildup.

Cold Compress

A cold compress is a great way to relieve pain caused by trauma to your connecting tissue. You can press something cold against your toothache. You can hold a cold compress against your tooth for about 20 minutes at a time.

Garlic

Did you know that garlic has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties? Garlic is known for its antibacterial qualities. As a result, this common household ingredient helps fight plaque buildup while acting as an efficient painkiller.

Thyme

Chances are you have thyme in your kitchen cupboard. But did you know that this versatile herb is loaded with medicinal benefits? Its powerful antioxidant and antibacterial properties are what you need to treat the discomfort that comes with a toothache.

It’s important to note that a toothache can be a serious medical condition. If you experience any discomfort, you must visit your dentist. Any home remedy for toothache is helpful, yet professional medical dental care is always advisable.

Blog