First, we want to say that you should never ignore a toothache. Dental pain and sensitivity is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and could indicate a deeper underlying problem with your oral health. If you feel a twinge of pain, schedule emergency dental care with our dentist in Troy, MI, to determine your next steps.
Here are some ways you can until you’re able to see Dr. Nazarian.
Most Likely Causes of Your Toothache
There’s a lot of reasons why you may be experiencing a toothache. However, the most common causes of dental pain include decayed, infected, or cracked teeth.
Other causes of toothaches include:
- Teeth grinding
- Gum disease
- Sensitive teeth
- Injury to the mouth
- Impacted wisdom teeth
To receive a diagnosis, as well as treatment, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Nazarian.
Floss Your Teeth
While it may seem weird, sometimes you may experience pain when you have food caught in between teeth. Try flossing gently between teeth to see if you dislodge anything.
If there was something stuck, you may see a little blood on the piece of floss. As long as you don’t continue having bleeding gums, you should be fine. Call our office if your dental pain persists.
If you see something lodged between your teeth that you can’t get out by flossing, call our office. Our Troy MI dentist will be able to safely remove whatever is caught between your teeth.
Take Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Our office may recommend that you take over-the-counter pain relievers until you’re able to see our dentist. Keep in mind that each person responds differently to over-the-counter medications. While a family member may benefit from a certain dosage, the same dosage may not have the same effect on you.
We recommend ibuprofen and naproxen to . But do NOT exceed the dose recommended on the product’s label. Over-the-counter medications are safe, as long as you take them as they were intended by the manufacturer.
Apply a Cold Compress
Try applying a cold compress to your cheek. This will help reduce swelling and numb the area.
If you don’t have a cold compress, wrap a bag of frozen vegetables in a cloth towel. It’s important that you have a barrier between the icy bag and your face so you don’t damage the skin. Applying ice to bare skin can cause frostbite.
Hold the compress against your face for no longer than 20 minutes. You may use the cold compress again in two hours if the pain persists.
While it may be tempting to hold the compress against your face for longer, this can cause more harm than good. The coldness of the compress restricts the blood vessels in your face and can actually reduce blood flow.
Using a cold compress is a temporary solution to relieving dental pain. That’s why you need to call our office so we can diagnose the problem and resolve the underlying source of your pain.
Wear Your Night Guard
Do you have a history of teeth grinding or clenching, especially at night? If you haven’t been wearing your night guard, you may be experiencing dental pain from bruxism. It’s also worth noting that untreated bruxism can increase your risk of chipping or cracking teeth. This, in turn, increases your risk of experiencing a dental emergency.
If you don’t already have a custom night guard, schedule an appointment with the Premier Dental Center to determine your next steps.
Schedule Emergency Dental Care
A toothache could be a sign of a more serious problem like a cavity or infection. That’s why it’s important that you schedule urgent dental care as soon as you suspect something is wrong.
Something like an abscessed tooth will NOT go away on its own. Instead, you may end up needing an emergency root canal to remove the infected tooth pulp. You won’t know for sure until you get an official diagnosis from Dr. Nazarian.
Dr. Ara Nazarian is a cosmetic and dental implant dentist in Troy, MI, who also offers emergency dental services. To schedule an emergency appointment with Dr. Nazarian, please call the Premier Dental Center at (248) 457-0500.
This blog post has been updated.