Did You Wake Up With Severe Tooth Pain After A Date At The Movies? 4 Tips To Ease Your Discomfort While You Call The Dentist
Posted on: 27 February 2019
A date at the movies should leave you feeling relaxed and happy. However, dental emergencies can happen at anytime, and your recent trip to the movies may or may not have anything to do with your sudden pain. While waking up with severe pain is always disconcerting, you can use these tips to ease the discomfort until you can find out what is going on during your visit to the emergency dentist.
Look for an Obvious Cause
Your first step is to see if there is an obvious reason for the pain. Sometimes, a piece of a popcorn kernel can get wedged between your tooth and gum and cause pain and swelling. If the tooth in question is visible in the mirror, use a flashlight to see if there is any obvious food debris that can be flossed out. You should also note any swelling, pus along the gum line or redness. These symptoms should be reported when you call for emergency dental care services, since they could indicate a more severe problem such as an infected tooth.
Try an Over-the-Counter Pain Reliever
Tooth pain often responds to a basic over-the-counter pain reliever such as one that contains ibuprofen to help relieve inflammation. If you opt to use this strategy, make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging. You also need to make sure to tell your dentist since some pain relievers could affect your treatment.
Swish With Salt Water
Salt water helps relieve tooth pain by lowering the amount of swelling that occurs in the mouth. If your tooth pain is caused by something such as popcorn getting into a cavity or tooth fracture, then it could also help to rinse away food debris. Keep in mind that it only takes a small amount of salt to achieve desirable affects, and using lukewarm water helps to prevent causing further pain.
Experiment With Temperature Therapy
Applying a hot or cold pack to the outside of the affected jaw helps to alleviate nerve irritation. The soothing sensation of heat or cold also distracts you from the painful throbbing that occurs with a toothache. Since everyone responds differently, you may need to try using hot and cold temperatures until you find the one that soothes you best.
Naturally, you know to call for emergency dental care at the first sign of a toothache. With prompt treatment, you can look forward to enjoying restored comfort that lets you get back to getting to know your movie date.
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