Dental Pain And Can't See Your Dentist? A Few Helpful Tips
Dental pain can be excruciating, so it makes sense that you would want to see your dentist as soon as possible to take care of the pain. However, dental pain can also strike when you can't see your dentist, for example, if you are on vacation. Below are a few tips to help you out in such a situation.
Call the Dentist for Advice
One of the things you can do is to give the dentist a call to ask for advice. This is particularly helpful if you don't know that is wrong with your teeth, but you feel severe pain. Even if you can't make it to the dentist, they may advise you on home care techniques or medications you can use until you can see the dentist.
Take OTC Pain Medications
Over-the-counter pain medications can also help you deal with the pain until you can see the dentist. If the underlying issue wasn't that serious, the pain may even go away before you can see the dentist. Remember to take the medications according to their instructions. For example, if the instructions call for you to swallow the tablets; don't improvise and put the tablets near the aching tooth. Such practices can burn your oral tissues. If you need quick relief from topical medicine, ask the pharmacist for an ointment or gel that you can put on the arcing gum.
Use a Cold Compress
If your gums or cheek is swollen, you can use a cold compress to deal with the swelling. Put a cold compress on the affected cheek for a few minutes at a time. The cold compress helps by restricting blood flow to the affected area, which reduces the associated swelling and pain.
Try a Mouth Rinse
A saline mouth rinse can also help you deal with the pain, particularly if the pain is accompanied by swelling and open wounds. The saline rinse increases the pH balance of the mouth, which inhibits the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Saline rinses can even heal minor oral wounds.
See Any Dentist
If you suspect a severe dental emergency, then you don't have to wait until you can see your usual dentist. Call or go to any dental service where you can get help. There are emergency dental practitioners who specialize in emergency patients.
Go to the ER
If you can't see any dentist, then just go to the nearest emergency room (ER). This is particularly true if your dental emergency is as a result of physical trauma to the head. The ER team may treat your dental issue plus any underlying medical condition. At the very least, the ER team will give you first aid treatment.