Toothache And What You Can Do About It

The 2 main kinds of toothache and what you can do about it (until you see your dentist)

There are 2 main kinds of toothache

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Firstly, sensitivity to hot/cold and sweet things. This is due to exposed dentine (the sensitive part of your tooth under the tough outer enamel coating).

The second more severe kind of toothache is due to infection of the innermost �core� of the tooth, called the pulp. Furthermore the infection can lead to an abscess i.e. a collection of pus. Such cases are characterised by the tooth being very painful and even sensitive to touch. Additionally you may have fever and swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck as well as gum swelling.

In both cases you need to see a dentist.

In the first kind of toothache you obviously need to avoid the trigger factors of heat/cold/ sweet items on your teeth. Even something as simple as mouth breathing can make the sensitivity worse. The nose is designed to warm and humidify the air as you breathe in, so this is the best way to go. If you breathe through your mouth habitually (for example if you suffer with nasal congestion/ stuffiness) then the blast of cold air goes directly over the teeth causing increased sensitivity.

Other breathing techniques involve breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. This will help you to relax and thus lower your heart rate and blood pressure , which will help to reduce the throbbing pain.

Sometimes the pain of toothache can be associated with nausea. This can be due to fear, anxiety or side effects of some painkillers, such as those containing codeine.

A simple acupressure technique can help : push the tip of your right thumb and the tip of your right index finger together firmly to form an �O'. Do the same with the left thumb and left index finger. Furthermore try and fix your eyes on a distant object e.g. look through a window in your house or office into the distance.

I used this technique to help with motion sickness while I was whale �watching on my honeymoon in New Zealand. It really works.

Even your posture / position can make a difference. Although you'll feel like lying down you should sit or stand. Otherwise the increase in your blood pressure associated with lying down could increase the throbbing nature of the pain.

Although the natural remedies described above can give you temporary pain relief, I do also recommend that you take conventional painkillers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) � assuming your medical history allows this. Check with your doctor/ dentist/ pharmacist if you are not sure. Always read the label.

I hope that this short article gives you a sense of �perspective' about the common causes of toothache and gives you some natural and pharmacological remedies until you see your dentist.

Dr. V. Kuhan

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