How Do I Know If My Toothache Is Serious?

We all love to have great gums, teeth, and overall unproblematic oral health, don’t we? Though Unfortunately, most of us will definitely come across some form of toothache, oral disease, gum discomfort, and other mouth-related issues that deserve a visit to the dentist at least once in our lifetime.

That being said, toothaches are actually more common than you think it is, as it is a pain that comes from or around a tooth. There are so many factors, reasons, and causes that contribute to giving you a bad toothache, and the severity of the pain can make it easy for you to decide if you want to treat it at home or go to a dentist to check out the proper cause and get it treated accordingly.

One will know if their toothache is severe or not depending on the level and duration of pain it causes. For instance, if there is very mild pain for around a week, then a regular home remedial routine should do the trick and help in getting rid of the pain sooner or later.

However, if there is immense pain even for 1 or 2 days, where the pain makes it challenging to consume solids and liquids or even to talk, then you surely need to go visit your nearest dentist as the high level of pain may hint that there sure is something serious behind the aches and drastic measures are required. 

What are the common causes of toothaches?

As mentioned before, there could be a handful of reasons which could cause toothaches. Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes given below : 

• A previous filling that was damaged or not proper.
• Tooth/teeth decaying but left unnoticed or unattended.
• A tooth that was fractured internally.
• Infected or diseased gums.
• If any hard food item or anything else is stuck in between the teeth.
• Grinding or clenching your teeth together too many times without realizing it will cause pain.

Apart from the reasons given above, toothaches also arise due to reasons which can’t be rectified or spotted with the eye. Such as, the pain might be caused by the insides of the tooth, gums or even close to the jawlines and ears. Whatever the case, it is best to get it treated immediately, either by a dentist or through homemade treatments.

What are the natural ways I can treat my toothache without going to the dentist?

Warm water gargling – Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water can do wonders as it will loosen the tension between your teeth, acts as a mild disinfectant, and will soothe your entire mouth from your tongue down to your throat.

Cold bag massage – Not only heat but lower temperatures will also have a surprisingly good effect on your painful areas. All one has to do is wrap ice in a medium-thick cloth or pour cold water into any heating bag and hold it against the area of pain for around 10 to 20 minutes; repeating the process every few hours will soon result in pain reduction and sensations.

Peppermint tea – Like any other green tea, this tea too has a lot of medicinal qualities that can be used to treat toothache either by drinking or just by pressing the tea bag against your jaws.

Hydrogen Peroxide – Just like warm salt water gargling, the same can be done with hydrogen peroxide by mixing 3% of this chemical with a glass of water and gargling it as it also contains a lot of anti-inflammation oxidants and greatly helps in reducing the level of pain. But do not swallow, as that might turn fatal.

After everything, if all the above homemade methods do not work or do not yield the results you were hoping for, it is best advised that the next thing you do is to book an appointment with your nearest dentist and try getting your issue sorted out as soon as possible.