Oral and dental hygiene; It is one of the essential elements for a healthy life. When oral hygiene is not provided, many diseases, especially dental diseases, can occur. The most common symptom of dental and gum diseases in humans is toothache. Toothache; It is a serious health problem that can affect people of all ages. The underlying causes of toothache may differ from person to person. In order to relieve toothache, the underlying cause should be investigated and the appropriate treatment method should be determined. If toothache is left untreated, this can result in tooth loss.
What is Toothache?
Toothache can be defined as a sharp and dull pain felt in or around a tooth. Toothache can come on suddenly, or it can be felt while eating or drinking. Tooth infection, decayed tooth, gum disease and tooth sensitivity; are among the most common causes of toothache. The pain can sometimes be in a different region and radiate to the jaw.
What Causes Toothache?
Toothache is a condition caused by inflammation of the middle part of the tooth, called the pulp. The pulp contains nerve endings that are very sensitive to pain. Therefore, toothache is quite common in pulp inflammation, also called pulpitis. In some cases, pain originating from the jaw can also be felt as a toothache. The main causes of toothache are as follows:
Gum diseases: Symptoms such as redness and toothache are seen in gum diseases that occur as a result of inflammation of the gums.
Dental caries: Formation of caries in the tooth; It is seen as a result of wear and gap formation on the outer surface of the tooth called “enamel”. The plaque that forms on the tooth enamel is mostly broken due to dietary habits. This triggers the formation of caries. Caries can cause toothache.
Sensitive teeth: In cases where the tooth enamel is worn, the middle layer of the tooth, called dentin, is exposed. This layer contains many nerve endings. This causes sensitivity in nerve endings when hot or cold food and drink is consumed. This sensitivity can also cause toothache in some cases.
Bruxism: Bruxism, also known as clenching or grinding while sleeping, can also cause toothache. Clenching your teeth can wear down the enamel and even cause tooth cracks.
Other causes of toothache can be listed as follows:
cracked teeth
tooth abscess
Impacted tooth
Certain headaches, such as migraines
Problems in the joints or muscles between the jaw and skull
What Are the Symptoms of Toothache?
Toothache; It is most severely felt in the teeth and jaw area. However, in some cases, toothache may also develop against hot or cold stimuli. At the same time, toothache; It can spread to the cheek and ear. Other symptoms of toothache are as follows:
Bleeding or discharge around the teeth or gums
Swelling around a tooth or in the jaw area
bad breath
Fire
swelling of the lymph nodes
How To Treat A Toothache?
For the treatment of toothache, the underlying cause must first be determined precisely. For this, your doctor may ask you to do some tests. After examining your medical history, physical examination and evaluation of the desired tests, if any, toothache can be relieved with an appropriate treatment method. If your doctor deems it necessary; filling, tooth extraction or other operations can be performed. However, in cases where such treatment methods will not yield results, methods such as root canal treatment or crown coating are applied. If you have any infection in your teeth or gums, your doctor may recommend taking antibiotics.
What Is Good For Toothache?
There are some home remedies to relieve toothache. However, it should be noted that these are temporary solutions. If you have long-lasting toothache, it is recommended to consult a dentist.
The methods that are good for toothache and that you can apply yourself at home are as follows:
Gargling with salt water: Salt water is a natural antiseptic. Therefore, gargling with salt water helps to remove food residues that accumulate between the teeth. Salt water can also relieve inflammation in the tooth and promote the healing of mouth sores.
Applying a cold compress: One of the ways to temporarily relieve toothache is to apply a cold compress to the area where the pain is felt. The cold compress causes the blood vessels in the area to narrow. This also relieves pain.
Garlic: Garlic, a natural antibiotic, can also be used to relieve pain. For this, after crushing the garlic into a paste, you can apply it to the area where the pain is seen or chew it.
Clove oil: Clove contains eugenol, a natural antiseptic. Therefore, clove oil toothaches
can be used to alleviate the You can gargle by adding a drop of clove oil to a small bowl of water, or you can pour clove oil on a cotton ball and apply it to the aching area.
Thyme: Just like cloves and garlic, thyme, which is a powerful antioxidant, also helps relieve toothaches. You can dilute a few drops of thyme oil with water and apply it to the aching area.
It should be noted that all these methods are not therapeutic and only help relieve pain temporarily. Therefore, a specialist should be consulted for ongoing toothaches.
How To Prevent Toothache?
With regular dental care, toothache and other dental ailments can be prevented. Here are some things you can do to prevent toothache:
Having a healthy diet is extremely important for the prevention of toothache, as it is for the prevention of all health problems. For example, consumption of refined sugar provides a suitable environment for the growth of harmful bacteria on the teeth. For this reason, foods with high sugar and acid content that damage tooth enamel should be avoided.
It should not be forgotten that oral hygiene is a whole. Therefore, brushing teeth alone is not enough to provide oral hygiene. At the same time, dental floss and mouthwash should be used.
Soft toothbrushes should be preferred to prevent gum diseases.
Teeth and tartar should be cleaned at least twice a year. In this way, both dental caries and other tooth and gum diseases can be prevented.
It should not be forgotten that harmful habits such as smoking and alcohol can damage the teeth.