What Can I Do for Severe Tooth Pain?
First, we want to make it clear that you should always call our office if you’re experiencing severe tooth pain. We offer emergency dental services so you can receive the care you need.
While there is plenty you can do at home to , this is only a temporary solution. What you need most is to have one of our dentists diagnose the source of your pain and treat the tooth.
Here’s what you can do to manage severe tooth pain until you’re able to see one of our dentists.
Floss Your Teeth
Sometimes the smallest things can cause a lot of pain, like a piece of shredded meat caught between your back teeth. If you’re experiencing dental pain or discomfort, gently floss between your teeth to see if you can dislodge anything.
If you do remove a small piece of food, don’t be alarmed if you see a little blood on your strand of floss. This isn’t uncommon if the piece of food was trapped for a while. But you should call our office right away if gum bleeding persists as this could be a sign of gum disease or other common dental health problems.
Call our office right away if you see something stuck between your teeth that can’t be removed by flossing. One of our dentists will remove the object in a way that’s safe and efficient.
Apply a Cold Compress
A cold compress will constrict the blood vessels in your face and help reduce swelling. The coldness will also numb your face, which helps relieve pain.
You should never apply a cold compress for more than 20 minutes at a time. While it may be tempting, a cold compress can damage your skin and even cause frostbite if applied for too long.
If you don’t have a cold compress, you may instead wrap a bag of ice or frozen vegetables in a cloth towel. It’s important that you have a barrier between the bag and your skin. Otherwise, you may damage your skin and cause more harm than good.
Once a couple of hours have passed, you may try another round of applying a cold compress. But keep in mind that this is a temporary solution to relieve dental pain. You won’t experience permanent relief from severe tooth pain until you seek emergency dental care.
Take Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
It can be hard to concentrate when you have a severe toothache. That’s why we recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen. Both of these medications .
Always follow the directions on the packaging when taking over-the-counter pain relievers. You should also remember that each person responds to medication differently. Just because a family member responds a certain way to over-the-counter pain relievers does not mean you should expect the same results.
Seek Emergency Dental Care
A toothache could be a sign of a deeper underlying problem. That’s why it’s important that you seek urgent dental care as soon as possible. The sooner you see one of our dentists, the sooner they can treat the source of your severe tooth pain.
Our dentists in Shelby Township, MI, will do everything in their power to help you restore your oral health. This includes offering emergency dental services to patients in their time of need. To request an appointment, call Frank P. Ruffino DDS at (586) 799-4240.
