Managing Tooth Pain Without Visiting a Dental Clinic
Managing Tooth Pain Without Visiting a Dental Clinic
Posted on May 23, 2020
Dr. Lekha Kukreja
23 MAY
In the current situation, most of the dental clinics around the world are open only for emergency treatments.
YES! Tooth Pain is an emergency
But, with dental clinics being a primary source of infection transmission,
Are you ready to risk an infection to get rid of the pain?
What if I say you can get rid of the pain AND NOT visit the dental clinic?
YES! That is a possibility!!
WHAT IS TOOTH PAIN?
FUN FACT! The only sensation that your tooth can feel is pain. The nerves are designed so.
It is generally the second most severe kind of pain experienced by an individual
And Most Importantly! There can be a huge issue in your mouth and you may feel no pain, while there might be a small issue and the pain might be severe.
That’s the catch!
Tooth pain is generally felt when the nerve inside the tooth is living. Once it dies, the disease might still be present and you will feel no pain.
That means, if you got tooth pain (depending on multiple other factors) it is the best time to start the treatment, rather than waiting for it to go off. It is generally the earlier phase of the disease and might require less invasive treatment.
Also, the pain might go off for a while but the disease isn’t going anywhere.
TOOTH PAIN IS A SYMPTOM AND NOT A DIAGNOSIS
All the pain that you feel in and around the tooth might not be due to the tooth.
The mouth is a very intricate and has lots of structures involved.
What you feel as a tooth pain could be a pain in the nerve, a small tumour growing beneath the tooth causing pain, ulcers, pain in the jaw or actually an infectious swelling.
Treating a symptom does not help with getting rid of the disease. You might get some intermittent relief, but the issue is bound to resurface and in a more severe form.
TREAT THE DISEASE NOT THE SYMPTOM
Taking a painkiller might resolve the issue for some time, but it isn’t the solution.
If the pain is due to an infection: You would need antibiotics initially to get rid of the infection, followed by an interventional treatment.
If the pain is due to nerve pain: Nerve pain can be due to multiple reasons, including swelling of the nerve or reactivation of a virus. Antibiotics or even normal OTC (over the counter) pain killers wouldn’t help with pain relief
If the pain is due to a tumour in the jaw: This cannot be treated with medicines, and would require a surgery
If the pain is due to ulcers: Ulcers can occur due to multiple reasons, including stress. Such a pain can be managed without a trip to the clinic.
Hence, it is important
1. Not to self- medicate
2. Find the reason of the pain
3. Take medications, if required.
HOW CAN THE TYPE OF PAIN BE UNDERSTOOD AND MANAGED ?
Step 1 Get your pain evaluated: Known only as pain, it can be described in multiple forms.
Is it mild or severe? Sharp or dull? When does it occur? Are there any triggering factors etc…? Evaluation of the pain can lead to a diagnosis
Step 2 Understand the treatment plan:
Once the type of pain is understood, you will have the diagnosis. This will lead to the treatment plan. Understand the treatment and act accordingly
Step 3 Take the medicines as prescribed and undertake regular follow-ups:
If the treatment can be initiated/ managed by medicines, get the required prescriptions and take it as advised. Also, if your doctor has asked for an online follow-up don’t miss it. Follow ups help in determining the course of the treatment and the final outcome.
Step 4 Visit the clinic only when a surgical treatment is required: This would be required eventually, even in case of a tooth infection.
But with managing the pain online, the emergency is resolved and you could visit the clinic on a later date as advised by the doctor.
DO NOT SELF MEDICATE WITH ANY OVER THE COUNTER PAINKILLER AS WELL
This is extremely important in the current situation, the effect of some OTC painkillers can worsen respiratory diseases. ALWAYS talk to the doctor before you take any medicines.
It is extremely important to take care of your oral health while not risking getting exposed to infections
Get your tooth pain managed online @ DentOp.com