Brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily can strengthen your smile to resist potential problems, but there’s no guarantee you’ll never have an emergency. For instance, you might bite into hard food at dinner and crack a tooth, which can result in a severe or persistent ache.
Depending on the timing, you may have to wait until morning to schedule an emergency visit. If the throbbing in your tooth has become so overwhelming that it’s keeping you awake or interrupting your rest, continue reading to learn 3 tips that might help you feel comfortable enough to doze off at night!
Tip #1: Rinse With Salt Water
Your mouth is full of bacteria awaiting an opportunity to penetrate your teeth. If they penetrate injured enamel or infect your gums, the resulting disease can trigger inflammation that causes pressure to build up painfully behind your tooth.
Thankfully, you can gently soothe this irritation by rinsing your mouth with salt water. To do so, try mixing ½ teaspoon of salt into a cup of lukewarm water to avoid triggering sensitivity with overly hot or cold temperatures. Stir it until it’s dissolved, then sip and swish the mixture around your mouth. Spit without swallowing, then repeat until your glass is empty.
This helps reduce fluid buildup to ease any aching sensations and rinses away germs and debris, disinfecting your mouth naturally.
Tip #2: Take Over-the-Counter Medications
Another simple yet effective way to address your discomfort is by taking the recommended dosage of an over-the-counter pain medication. For example, people can safely take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to assuage soreness or swelling, but it can depend on your unique circumstances.
For example, these options may not be recommended if you have certain other health conditions, such as liver disease, or take other prescription medications, such as blood thinners, that can sometimes cause adverse reactions.
Tip #3: Prop Your Head Up
Have you noticed that the throbbing in your troubled tooth seems to intensify when you lie down? This might happen when you change positions from standing or sitting upright to lying horizontally, because gravity pulls more blood to your head, which increases pressure on the already tender nerve inside.
Fortunately, there are ways you can potentially overcome this! For instance, propping your head up at an angle on several stacked pillows or sleeping in your favorite recliner can help prevent this blood-pooling effect. This can provide enough relief for you to finally get some much-needed sleep.
Following these tips can help you feel more comfortable at night so you can be well-rested when you contact your endodontist first thing the next morning!
About the Practice
Patients at Endodontic Group of Jersey City benefit from two experts eager to help them build and maintain a beautiful, healthy smile. Dr. Barrios and Dr. Kim are certified endodontists who collaborate to offer world-class procedures to address cracked, damaged, or infected teeth. They combine a caring approach with advanced technology to enhance your comfort while delivering accurate treatment results intended to last. If you have an emergency requiring immediate attention, you can contact the office on the website or by calling (201) 484-5404.