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What To Do for a Toothache


When toothache pain strikes, it's time to call your Rockville Centre, NY, dentist, Dr. Paul Cosgrove. Dr. Cosgrove can diagnose the source of your toothache and offer treatments that will stop the pain.


What you can do at home to treat a toothache

These steps may help dull toothache pain until you arrive for your appointment:


  • Try a Saltwater or Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse: Swishing salt water or a hydrogen peroxide solution around in your mouth can decrease inflammation and pain. If you use hydrogen peroxide, use a mixture of half water and half hydrogen peroxide. Spit out the water after you swish.
  • Take an Over-the-Counter Pain Reliever: Anti-inflammatory pain medications, like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, ease both pain and swelling.
  • Apply an Ice Pack to Your Face: Ice temporarily numbs your jaw, stopping or reducing the pain.
  • Use an Oral Numbing Gel: Stop by a Rockville Centre drugstore and buy a tube of oral numbing gel. The gel temporarily eases pain, making it easier to sleep or concentrate at school or work.
  • Give Oil of Clove a Try: Clove oil, a natural anesthetic, has been used to ease toothache pain for generations. Apply it to a cotton ball or swab, then spread it over the gum surrounding your painful tooth.


When to call the dentist

A toothache is a sign that something's not quite right with your tooth. You may have a cavity, a crack in your tooth, a damaged restoration, an abscess, or another issue. Since it's impossible to diagnose and treat dental issues at home, it's important to call the dentist at the first sign of pain. The longer you wait, the worse the pain may become.


If your pain is accompanied by fever, facial swelling, pus or a bump around the gum, or swollen lymph nodes, call the office immediately. You may have a bacterial infection called an abscess. Abscesses require emergency dental treatment to prevent the infection from spreading.


Should you have a cavity, your dentist may recommend a composite resin filling. The tooth-colored fillings restore and strengthen teeth and become practically invisible when they're placed in your mouth.


Do you have a toothache? Call your dentist in Rockville Centre, NY, Dr. Paul Cosgrove, at (516) 208-8174 to schedule an appointment.

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