Treating Toothaches: Dental, Medical, and Home Remedies

Different Ways to Toothache Relief 

While most toothaches are seen by the dentists, some are medical issues and medical doctors are the right experts to see. Home remedies are also popular but provide only temporary relief from your pain until you can see your dentist or doctor.

Your Teeth and Gums

Since most toothaches arise from issues with your teeth and gums, you would likely see your dentist for treatment. Your dentist will do an oral examination to detect the source of your pain, and may use X-rays which will confirm the location and extent of the decay. Finding the cavity, all decay should be removed or drilled out and cleaned, the space filled with the appropriate filling material to restore the tooth form, appearance, and function. Sometimes, a tooth extraction may be necessary, as in an impacted tooth.  Pain medication and antibiotics may be prescribed. 

Your dentist will also be able to tell you if your toothache is not related to your teeth or gums. You may be referred to a doctor if you have inflamed sinuses which are causing referred pain to your teeth. However, it may be taken care of if your dentist will prescribe you antibiotics or decongestants. Otherwise, you need to see a specialist. Trigeminal neuralgia and occipital neuralgia, which are painful neurological conditions, can only be managed by pain medications. 

In cases when you think you have a toothache, when actually it’s a heart attack, your dentist will send you promptly to the ER of the nearest hospital. If it’s instead a heart disease or lung disease, your dentist will refer you to a doctor for further testing. 

To temporarily relieve your tooth pain, home remedies are popular. You may safely obtain over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, such as aspirin; an OTC topical dental pain medication, such as benzocaine (with dentist’s consent); OTC decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine, if it’s sinus congestion; and there’s clove oil that you can apply to the affected tooth.

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Learning More About Toothache Relief in Lynnwood

Treatment for toothache pains are varied as their causes. See your Lynnwood dentist for more information and helpful tips for toothaches.