How to Treat Your Toothache with Tips from Your Dentist in Enterprise

It’s been a few days since you noticed a slight discomfort in your mouth. It hasn’t gone away yet and it’s starting to feel more painful than when you first noticed it. Unfortunately, you have no idea what could have caused it or how to even address it.

That’s why your dentist in Enterprise is here to aid you and your aching tooth. In this post, they’ll go over the possible causes of your toothache as well as how to treat it prior to your next dental appointment.

What Can Cause a Toothache?

Tooth pain occurs when the nerves under your teeth become exposed. There are many ways this can occur, including:

• Tooth decay
• Fractured tooth
• Damaged filling or dental work
• Infections in the mouth
• Abscessed tooth or Infected nerve
• Tooth grinding (Bruxism)

While pain is considered the most obvious symptom of a toothache, you can experience other symptoms as well. For example, you’re more likely to experience a fever as this commonly appears if an infection is present. You may also experience swelling around the affected area or a foul taste in your mouth caused by tooth decay or bacteria. This issue should be swiftly addressed especially if the odor doesn’t go away after brushing. Until you make it to your next appointment, consider the following steps to address your pain.

How to Treat Your Toothache at Home

To reduce the pain from a toothache, make sure to keep the area clean with regular brushing. Take note of when the pain occurs and avoid activities that put added pressure on the affected tooth. Over the counter medication such as Ibuprofen should be taken to reduce discomfort.

You can also benefit from swishing saltwater in your mouth. This will reduce swelling and clean the area around your tooth. Use an ice pack beside your cheek to help numb the pain. Wrap the ice around a cloth or other material to avoid direct contact. These tips can help reduce pain from a normal toothache, but some injuries require additional maintenance if they’re more significant.

How to Treat More Significant Tooth Trauma

If you’ve broken a tooth causing it to become jagged, put gauze around the edge to keep it from cutting other parts of your mouth. If pain is present, take pain medication to reduce until you get to your dentist.

If your tooth was recently knocked out, try to place it back into your socket and bite down gently to keep it in place. If this doesn’t work, save the tooth in a container of milk, saltwater, or saliva to preserve it until you see your dentist. Apply gauze to the area if bleeding is present.

Keep tooth pain at bay before seeing your dentist in Enterprise. Schedule an appointment with them right away if you’re experiencing a dental emergency!

About the Author

Dr. Tyler Schaffeld, DMD, studied biochemistry at Central Washington University before earning his dental degree from Oregon Health and Science University in 2013, graduating second in his class. To learn more about his practice, contact him at (541) 426-3783 or visit his website.