Toothache, also called odontalgia, is one of the most common oral conditions and many patients go to the dentist for this reason.
It is an affliction that can become very intense and even extend to the ear and neck area.
For the sufferer, it is a persistent pain, which intensifies at certain times, and directly affects their daily life.
Many patients wonder what is the best way to solve this or if there are pills for toothache.
For this reason, it is important to know the causes that provoke odontalgia, as well as the treatments to combat it.
If you want to know more, continue reading this article.
Symptoms of toothache
Before the person begins to notice the ailment as such, it is possible to identify certain symptoms.
Initially, odontalgia manifests itself as localized discomfort in one area of the jaw, usually accompanied by swelling and bleeding of the gums.
Another easily recognizable sign is increased tooth sensitivity, which becomes especially acute during the ingestion of cold drinks or food.
If, in addition, the tooth is infected, the patient may present a feverish state.
Signs of odontalgia
Enlarge image
DENTAL CLINIC
What causes toothache?
There are different causes that originate affliction in the molars.
Caries
The pain of the dental pieces in general is associated, in the great majority of occasions, to the presence of a caries.
Usually, due to poor oral hygiene, plaque accumulates on the teeth creating a cavity.
If not treated in time, it will lead to a tooth abscess and damage the pulp.
DON’T IGNORE YOUR TOOTHACHE AND CALL US
Thus, the nerve is exposed to external agents and bacteria in the oral cavity, producing as a consequence a sharp pain.
However, a tooth can hurt even if it is not decayed.
Existence of periodontal disease
It is possible that the affliction does not originate in the molar itself, but in the periodontal tissue.
Periodontal diseases severely damage the gums, causing pain and inflammation.
The most common symptom of these pathologies is continuous bleeding of the gums, but also bad breath and toothache.
In cases of advanced periodontitis, the consequences are greater: tooth mobility can occur and even lead to tooth loss.
Pain is always a symptom that something is not working as it should. Therefore, to determine the origin of the affliction, go to a dental clinic as soon as possible.
Dental trauma
Trauma following a severe blow will cause pain in the area of impact.
Depending on the severity of the accident, the tooth may be cracked or broken.
After an impact, it is advisable to visit a dentist to check the condition of the tooth, as the nerve may have been affected.
Bruxism
We usually say that stress has serious consequences for oral health.
Patients with bruxism involuntarily clash their upper and lower jaws, often during sleep hours.
This friction causes increased stress on the temporomandibular joint and leads to toothache.
Impacted tooth
We speak of a retained or impacted tooth when it has not emerged in the usual period.
These teeth remain, therefore, inside the jawbone and tend to push the rest of the teeth, especially in the case of wisdom teeth.
Visit to the dentist
Enlarge image
CHECK-UP AT THE DENTIST
Swelling in other areas
If we have swelling in areas that connect to the oral cavity, we may notice some pain in the molars.
For example, maxillary sinusitis is an infection of the sinuses.
Because of its proximity to the roots of the teeth in the upper jaw, it can cause discomfort in the teeth.
Remedies for toothache relief
The first option is to momentarily alleviate the affliction by taking toothache pills: medications with analgesic or anti-inflammatory effects.
Although medicines can mitigate the pain, remember that it is advisable to take these drugs under the prescription of a doctor or dentist.
In addition, we can resort to several home remedies that can help to remove the pain in a timely manner:
Apply cold on the outside of the affected area, but without exerting too much force on the affected area.
Rinses with warm water and salt.
What not to do if you have a toothache?
As mentioned below, the ideal is to visit a trusted dental clinic if the toothache or odontalgia is very intense and persists for several days.
Until you can visit your specialist, here are a series of habits and practices to avoid if you experience this affliction.
Avoid very cold or hot food and drinks.
As regards food, you should avoid chewing excessively hard food in the painful part of your mouth.
Foods with a high sugar content can accentuate the pain, so we recommend not eating them.
Do not take any antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medication if it has not been prescribed by a specialist.
Remember that some of the remedies you see on the Internet are counterproductive to get rid of toothache.
For example, it is not advisable to apply painkillers directly to the tissue or gargle with hydrogen peroxide, as they can worsen our diagnosis.
Consequences of smoking with toothache
Tobacco has a very negative impact on oral health, with particularly aggressive damage to the gums.
If we experience toothache or odontalgia, the best thing to do is to stop smoking or, at least, to reduce this habit as much as possible.
Since tobacco reduces the vascularization of the gums, it masks problems related to periodontal disease.
In addition, the substances present in cigarettes aggravate toothache and the possible infection present in this dental piece.
Should I go to the dentist if I have a toothache?
If the pain persists for more than one or two days, we have fever or the pain radiates to another area of the body such as the ear or head, we should go to the doctor.
The specialist will assess the cause of the discomfort and prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
If the affliction is determined by the presence of a caries, it will be enough to eliminate the carious surface with a filling.
In cases of deep caries that have damaged the pulp tissue, endodontics will be necessary, which consists of extracting it and then sealing the canal.
Toothache relief
Enlarge image
DENTAL PROFESSIONALS
The dentist will prescribe the intake of antibiotics, whenever there is infection, before starting any treatment.
Those patients whose pain is caused by another cause, such as bruxism, the dentist will prescribe the use of an unloading splint.
If the professional is faced with a case of periodontal disease, the first step is to begin treatment to return the mouth to its initial state of health.
Preventing odontalgia
It is impossible to prevent pain in some cases, such as when a tooth is beginning to erupt.
Even if the discomfort is alleviated with toothache pills, it is sometimes necessary to visit the dentist.
However, in other circumstances it can be avoided and it has a lot to do with our lifestyle.
Following a balanced diet with a high sugar content is conducive to tooth decay, one of the main causes of toothache.
In addition, following proper and thorough oral hygiene guidelines promotes dental health.
It is not enough to brush your teeth to have a healthy mouth.
It is advisable to combine brushing with flossing, mouthwashes or oral irrigators, especially in people with orthodontics and those who have implants.
With these practices, we will reduce the bacterial plaque and tartar that accumulate in our mouth and we will prevent food debris from remaining in the interdental spaces.
See a specialist if you feel any discomfort in your molars so that he/she can examine your mouth and determine the cause of the problem.
You will be interested in > 6 tips for wisdom tooth pain
At DrAW Dental Clinic we are guided by editorial guidelines that ensure the veracity of all the information we publish. If you would like to learn more about how we ensure that our content is up-to-date and properly supported, we encourage you to read our editorial commitment.
