If you’re suffering as a result of having pain in your teeth or in your jaw the sensation can be agonizing, and you’ll no doubt want to sort out the problem straight away. The most common and often earliest cause of toothache is from dental caries. Toothache usually occurs when a nerve in the tooth’s root is inflamed or irritated.

Toothache needs to be seen by a dentist as soon as possible as they won’t be able to tell how severe or advanced a dental problem is until they’ve carried out a thorough examination.

What can I do to relieve toothache?

If you’re suffering with toothache and require immediate assistance, you can alleviate the pain at home by taking painkillers such as ibuprofen or aspirin. This should be one of the first things to consider if you can’t get immediate access to a dentist but the pain you’re in is overwhelming.
One way to look after your mouth is to gently rinse with clean, warm water to remove any food debris which could be making the pain worse. Another good tip is to keep your head elevated to reduce any swelling and if the tooth is very sensitive that it hurts when air passes over it, try covering the tooth using a piece of gauze. However it’s wise not to sleep with this in place.

If the toothache requires more than just a painkiller, you will almost certainly need to seek medical attention and to see a dentist as soon as possible. If you have pain in a tooth which has already received a filling, this means you could have a problem with the inside of the tooth and this could be caused by the remaining pulp, a small crack in the tooth or even gum disease.

Any kind of dental pain or toothache should ideally be investigated as soon as possible by a dental professional, as they can treat it before it gets any worse.

For more information about what to do if you have a toothache or to book an emergency dental appointment, please call the Red Sky practice on 01302 325 678.