You may have arrived here because you started having intense aching in your tooth, jaw or ear, can’t even drink cold water without sharp, severe pain, or can’t chew on that side at all. Unfortunately, you may have a toothache or other dental problem!
 
Of course, the best solution is to see your dentist as soon as possible. While home remedies may help relieve the symptoms, the reason your having pain in the first place is because there’s something that may need treatment. But this advice isn’t all that helpful when you can’t see your dentist right away and the pain is unbearable!
 
Here I’m sharing the best method to get out of toothaches or gum pain while you wait to see the dentist!

​If you live near Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, or Wildomar, CA you can get the finest dental care from the caring and experienced dentists at Upland Dental Implant and Orthodontics.

​Tooth or gum pain is largely due to inflammation or swelling. Reduce the swelling and you’ll reduce the pain. The best way to reduce this inflammation in the short-term is with the 3-3-3 method: 3 ibuprofen (600 mg total) 3 times a day for 3 days.
 
What not to do: Don’t take the ibuprofen and stop once you start to get pain relief. The trick is to keep the ibuprofen levels up to reduce the inflammation. If you stop, then it’ll take a while before the ibuprofen will kick in again.
 
Please keep in mind that this only treats the symptoms and does nothing to address the root cause of your pain. Also, make sure you can take ibuprofen and it doesn’t interfere with any health condition or medication you are already taking. (Check with your doctor if you aren’t sure.)

Salt water rinse:  Slowly stir in salt into a cup of hot water. Keep adding until you see salt crystals at the bottom that are no longer dissolving. Rinse with this solution for 30 seconds 4-5 times a day to reduce gum inflammation. This is especially helpful if you have gum pain or something stuck between the teeth like a seed.
 
Clove Oil: This is an essential oil that has been used for decades as a way to calm inflammation. Apply a small amount with a cotton swab to the affected area. This works best if you can directly apply the oil to the affected area like if there is an exposed nerve due to a deep cavity or your pain in your gums.
 
Pillows:  Keep your head elevated. Stack a couple pillows when you sleep to keep your head higher than your heart. Resting totally flat allows blood flow to the head and may make swelling and pain worse. 

Don’t hesitate to go straight to the ER if you have:

• Trouble breathing or swallowing due to the swelling
• Eyes that are swelling shut
• A fever

There are many causes of tooth/gum pain, but here are a few common ones:

• Cavity deep into the nerve sometimes needing a root canal treatment
• Trauma to the area (dental injury, fracture from biting on something hard, grinding your teeth)
• Sinus infection causing pain on upper teeth
• Swollen gums from gingivitis or periodontitis
• Food getting stuck between your teeth, especially if you have spaces between them

If you are in pain right now, I hope you learned some tips that help and I wish you a speedy recovery! 

Blog post by our Endodontist Dr. Rita Hung.  Proudly providing great dental care in Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, and Wildomar.

I hope everyone had some good tricks and treats this Halloween! Now, let’s talk about something really haunting…. ROOT CANALS!

​When the cavity and bacteria goes into the pulp chamber (where the nerve and blood supply exist), this causes pain and irritation. Now, this is where an endodontist, or root canal specialist, comes to the rescue! The endodontist will remove the nerve (and the pain), clean out the root canal system and fill the roots to prevent future contamination. The nerve isn’t necessary after the tooth has already grown so the removal of it doesn’t damage the tooth. After the root canal treatment, a core build-up (or filling) and crown is placed to protect the tooth and keep you functioning for a long-time after!

​Sometimes, if the toothache has gone too long, the nerve will die and a bump will form on your gums. This could be a dental abscess or infection which causes destruction of the bone around the end of the root. (Of course you should visit your friend dentist to check it out and properly diagnose the problem.) But if it's caused by a dead nerve, a root canal treatment can be done to clean out the bacteria from the canals. After treatment, the infection takes several weeks to clear from the bone and gums and rebuild healthy surrounding tissues again.

​Realistically, a root canal treatment isn’t any more scary or spooooky than a filling. In both cases, you are completely numb for the treatment. Often times, the tooth that needs a root canal is in pain and a root canal treatment is done to remove the cause of pain. So really, root canals are friendly!  (Contrary to popular belief!) Of course, no one really wants to get a root canal treatment so please remember to brush, floss and see the dentist for regular check ups to catch cavities early BEFORE they get to the dreaded nerve. 

​If you live near Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, or Wildomar, CA you can get the finest dental care from the caring and experienced dentists at Upland Dental Implant and Orthodontics.