A toothache is never pleasant, that much anyone can tell. However, sometimes, a toothache may go away on its own, if it’s caused by a flash of sensitivity or a headache. If you have mild pain, it’s probably a good idea to make an appointment for a checkup regardless, but when should you press the issue and treat it like an emergency? Here are a few examples.
If It Lasts More Than a Day
Sometimes, a toothache can last anything from a few hours to a day or so. There are a few different causes of toothaches, which can include things like gum disease, cavities, and teeth grinding, that might not be an emergency. For pain that doesn’t go away after a day, it could be due to issues like an abscess or a cracked tooth, which is deserving of more active and quick treatment.
If The Pain is Severe
When you’re in so much pain that it’s interrupting your sleep and your ability to focus and take care of the day-to-day, then you should consider making an emergency appointment. Get in touch with providers like Sage Dental and make it clear how serious the pain is. A provider of emergency dentistry will be able to get you in to take a closer look, find the source, and give it the treatment it needs, be it a root canal or prescribing antibiotics for an infection.
If It Causes Pain in the Shoulders or Neck
Neck and shoulder pain is always a hassle to deal with, but in some cases, it’s not due to the common physical aches of not enough activity or recovering from a workout. When you get them in tandem with tooth pain, that could be the sign of an infection that has spread quite far, meaning it’s time to get into action.
If There are Any Fever Symptoms
If you have any serious symptoms of a fever at the same time that you have a toothache, then you should probably skip the process of visiting the dentist and instead seek emergency medical treatment. This could be the sign that an infected tooth has begun to spread throughout the rest of the body. These infections can be genuinely life-threatening when they spread that far, so do not take any chances.
If Home Remedies Don’t Work for the Toothache
You might have already taken some medication to deal wit your tooth pain but even those best equipped to offer some relief, like ibuprofen, can take some time to kick in. However, there are a lot of home and natural remedies that you can use. A saltwater rinse, mixing salt into warm water and rinsing with it, can offer near-immediate relief. Applying a cold compress, using clove oil, or rinsing with hydrogen peroxide can also work well.
Tooth pain should always be taken seriously. However, if your attempts to quell it at home don’t work, then it’s time to consider stepping it up and treating it like more of a real emergency.
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