Tooth pain is horrible! Due to the type of nerves a tooth has, tooth pain can be as severe as passing a kidney stone. If you are experiencing severe tooth pain, it is likely due to the nerve dying within the tooth. When this is happening the pain often radiates to the jaw, ear, side of the head and other teeth; it becomes confusing to the sufferer where the pain is coming from. The pain may come and go as different parts of the tooth nerve die.
The good news is that the tooth pain will eventually stop on its own once the nerves are completely dead. The bad news is that this may take hours, days or even weeks. The really bad news is that the pain going away may be the calm before the storm, when the nerves have died it means there is no more blood flow within the tooth and infection in the jaw bone will begin; this may take days to years to occur.
Even the worst of tooth pains can be made tolerable by:
- Applying a cold compress or anything else that is frozen (15 min. on/ 15 min. off) on the outside of the face beside the painful tooth. This will reduce the pain by numbing the nerves in the area and reduce the blood flow to the inside of the tooth; excessive blood flow inside the tooth is the cause of the most severe type of tooth pain.
- Alternating MAXIMUM doses of Ibuprofen (Advil) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is extremely effective in controlling ANY tooth pain. Even after major jaw surgery this is the best way to keep pain under control. The two medications have two different pathways of action, together they are very powerful in controlling tooth pain. Consult your pharmacist, dentist or medical doctor on the regimen.
Have a Different Dental Emergency?
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Above are some helpful tips until you can see a dentist.