When you have dental discomfort, you should go to go to the dentist to investigate any serious problems. Of course, immediate appointments aren’t always possible. Until you can get to your Knoxville dentist, Dr. Jim Erpenbach, there are some home remedies you can try to reduce the pain in your mouth.
Cough Drops
Throat lozenges and cough drops…
When you have dental discomfort, you should go to go to the dentist to investigate any serious problems. Of course, immediate appointments aren’t always possible. Until you can get to your Knoxville dentist, Dr. Jim Erpenbach, there are some home remedies you can try to reduce the pain in your mouth.
Cough Drops
Throat lozenges and cough drops often contain menthol and benzocaine. Both of these are anesthetic agents. Think about it: If a cough drop can relieve your sore throat, why shouldn’t it also soothe your tooth pain? It’s best to consume the lozenge as directed (i.e. suck on it to make it melt slowly) because biting down on anything hard can cause even worse tooth pain.
Salt Water Rinse
If you have food (or floss threads) trapped between your teeth, this could be the cause of an uncomfortable feeling in a tooth. Once you’ve done your best with brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth as normal to clean out all harmful particles, try swishing with salt and warm water mixed together. This can help reduce swelling of the gum tissues. Swishing a saline solution around in your mouth can also help any wounded gingival tissues (cuts, lesions, or ulcers)  heal faster.
Ice, Ice, Baby
If your facial muscles or gingival tissues are swollen, you can try holding an ice pack to your face to relax and reduce swelling. Cold pressure may also freeze the area of pain, producing a light numbing effect. Conversely, holding a hot tea bag to your face or painful tooth area can also reduce swelling and soothe discomfort.
Visit your Knoxville Dentist
You should never try to solve a major dental problem on your own, but these home remedies can help ease your discomfort. If the problem does not go away within a few days, it could be a serious dental issue. The sooner a dental problem is dealt with, the less likely long term damage is. Contact Dr. Erpenbach immediately if you have dental pain which doesn’t go away. In the case of any emergency or questions about your dental health, call our dental team at 865-584-8630.
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