Many will agree: there are few things in life as unpleasant as a toothache. Sergey Kovalchuk, an orthopedic dentist, founder of the Smile Spa and Kovalchuk Clinic dental clinics, shares tips on how to behave if you are faced with a toothache.
Types and causes of toothache
First of all, you need to understand that the characteristic pain does not occur on its own, but as a result of damage to the tooth or tissues surrounding it. That is, the nerve endings respond to inflammation or mechanical damage.
Toothache may be:
- acute;
- pulsating;
- aching;
- paroxysmal, etc.
Each of the varieties indicates the presence of a certain pathological process. For example, pulpitis or inflammation of the nerve, associated with the fact that caries has severely destroyed the tooth, is usually associated with acute pain, usually occurring in the evening.
Will only painkillers help?
Toothache should always be treated by a dentist. If you feel discomfort of any degree in the area of the tooth or its surrounding tissues, you need to make an appointment as soon as possible in order to stop this unpleasant symptom and find out the reasons.
It is important to understand that the pathological process that caused the pain will not go anywhere without proper treatment, even if the discomfort is temporarily drowned out with auxiliary drugs.
Painkillers are allowed to drink in limited quantities, strictly following the annotation - only under such conditions is it safe. Exceeding the dosage can lead to poisoning and other undesirable consequences.
What should not be done with a toothache?
Not recommended at home
- Combine the use of painkillers with alcohol, as this will entail an excessive burden on the internal organs, primarily on the liver.
- Take antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. Unfortunately, many do this at their own peril and risk, but this rarely solves the problem, and there is a possibility of side effects, especially against the background of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and taking painkillers.
- Apply to the place that hurts, warmly. If an inflammatory or purulent process has occurred in the area of the tooth, then heating will only provoke its spread and swelling, which can cause complications such as an abscess or phlegmon, due to which a person risks getting into the department of maxillofacial surgery. Drinking hot drinks is also undesirable: the best option is water at room temperature.
- Do intense physical exercise. The load often exacerbates pain and accelerates the spread of purulent foci due to increased pressure.
Complications that can occur if you do not see a doctor in time
The most common and obvious consequence of postponing a visit to the dentist is tooth loss. Unfortunately, the risks don't stop there. If purulent inflammation occurs, complications can go so far as to require urgent surgery. In some cases, patients end up in intensive care, in the worst case scenario, a fatal outcome is possible.
That is why, as soon as a toothache appears, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Preventive measures against toothache
The main tool that prevents problems in the oral cavity is a planned visit to the dentist at least once every six months. During preventive examinations, pathological changes are detected in a timely manner, at an early stage, and a procedure such as professional oral hygiene helps to remove the main cause of caries: plaque and the microbes that live in it.
About once a year, the attending dentist suggests doing an X-ray control: this is necessary in order not to miss hidden processes that cannot be detected during a routine examination.
Of course, if a specialist draws up a treatment plan after a preventive intake, it is necessary to adhere to it in order to eliminate all foci of infections and tissue destruction in the oral cavity, especially if pregnancy or some general surgical interventions are planned.
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