SEVERE
TOOTH PAIN
Any
injury to the gums or teeth can be very painful. In some cases,
however, the cause of severe dental pain is not obvious. For
example, pain that comes on suddenly may be caused by particles
of food that got lodged in a cavity and have started to irritate
the nerve inside the tooth. If you lose a filling or a crown,
the nerve inside the tooth may be exposed, and you may feel
severe pain when air or hot or cold substances touch the uncovered
part of the tooth.
Pain
that becomes more severe over a period of time is commonly caused
by debris lodged under the gum. Popcorn is a common offender.
Because the hard cellulose fibers of the popcorn kernel don't
break down, it can remain stuck between your gum and your tooth.
The longer a food particle stays trapped between the gum and
tooth, the greater the chance the gum will become irritated
and infected and the pain will get worse. If you develop an
infection, called an abscess, it can become a serious health
problem if left untreated.
Pain
when you bite or chew, especially if it is accompanied by a
foul odour and a bad taste, can be a sign of an abscess that
needs immediate treatment.
What You Can Do
First,
call ALL DAY ALL NIGHT DENTIST and make an appointment.
In the meantime, here are a few steps you can take at home to
try to relieve some of the pain:
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen
(Advil, Neurofen) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). However, be aware
that you need to see your dentist. If you mask the pain with
a painkiller and ignore it, the infection can spread and could
become life threatening.
- Rinse your mouth with warm water every hour or as needed to
ease the pain.
- If the pain is caused by debris lodged in a cavity, washing
the area may relieve the problem.
-
Floss your teeth, and then run a toothpick around the gum line.
This may remove debris that's lodged under the gum.
- If you've lost a filling or crown, dip a cotton swab in clove
oil and apply it to the exposed part of the tooth. Clove oil,
available in pharmacies and supermarkets, works well to relieve
tooth pain. You also can use a topical anaesthetic, such as
Anbesol, also available in pharmacies and supermarkets.
- Putting an ice pack on your face over the area that hurts
also may relieve the pain. Apply the ice for 10 to 20 minutes
of every hour, as necessary.
-
If you will be travelling in an airplane, the change in pressure
when the plane takes off or lands may make you feel more uncomfortable.
You should get dental treatment before travelling by air.
What Our Dentist will do:
Even
when dental problems cause a lot of pain, the problems — and
the treatments — often are relatively simple if you seek help
right away.
If
you have a cavity, your dentist will clean out any debris, remove
the decayed part of the tooth, and place a filling. Once the
inner part of the tooth is protected, the pain will usually
disappear immediately.
If
your problem is related to debris under your gums, your dentist
will use special instruments to remove the debris. If you have
an infection, you may be given a prescription for antibiotics
and pain medicine. If an antibiotic is prescribed, it is important
that you take it as directed until you have finished all the
medication.
An
abscess in the tooth or gum may require more extensive treatment,
such as drainage of the abscess, root canal treatment or tooth
extraction.
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LOST
FILLING OR CROWN
Fillings,
which are materials used to fill cavities in the teeth, and
crowns, which slip over and cover the tops of damaged teeth,
sometimes loosen and fall out. This is rarely an emergency,
but it can be painful because the exposed tooth tissue is often
sensitive to pressure, air or hot and cold temperatures. In
some cases, a filling or crown may come loose because decay
has developed underneath it. The decay can cause the tooth to
change shape and as a result, the crown of filling no longer
fits the tooth properly.
What
You Can Do
You
may be eating, or biting on something hard when you discover
that a filling or a crown has become lose or fallen out. You
may feel the lost filling or crown in your mouth.
If
it's a crown, put it in a safe place and make an appointment
to see your dentist as soon as you can. You don't want to wait
too long because the tooth will be weak and could be damaged
more if it is not protected by the crown. Also, when a crown
is missing for a long time, your teeth may move. If this happens
your crown may no longer fit.
If
the tooth is sensitive and you can't get to your dentist right
away, here's what you can do:
- If you can reach the sensitive area, apply a little clove
oil with a cotton swab. It works well to dull tooth pain. You
can buy clove oil in pharmacies and also in the spice aisle
of many supermarkets.
- If you have the crown, you may be able to slip it back over
the tooth. Before you do that, it's important to clean the inside
of the crown as best you can. To hold it in place temporarily,
coat the inner surface of the crown with tooth "cement,"
which you can buy in the dental section of your pharmacy. There
are several temporary cements available. Some need to be mixed;
others come ready to use. You also can use denture adhesive
or even petroleum jelly if nothing else is available. These
aren't permanent solutions, but they will help to hold the crown
in place until you can see your dentist. You should not use
any household glues to hold the crown in place. These products
are not safe to put in your mouth and can damage the tooth and
crown.
- If you've lost the filling or crown, you can use over-the-counter
dental cement to cover the tooth surface. This will help to
protect and seal the area until you're able to see your dentist,
and can make you more comfortable.
What Our Dentist Will Do
If
the tooth is structurally sound and the crown still fits properly,
your dentist will clean the area and then replace the crown.
If the tooth has been affected by decay, your dentist will need
to prepare the tooth again by removing the decay and then making
a new filling or crown to replace the old one.
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