How To Ease Tooth Pain Until You Can Get Into The Dentist By Dr. Scott Watkins

Toothaches can be one of the most irritating things because of how much pain it can cause, it is almost enough to drive you crazy. The worst part about a really bad toothache is the constant throbbing that never seems to go away. It seems like every time you breathe or move the pain intensifies, no matter how hard you try to avoid the tooth that hurts. Majority of the time this pain is caused by a cavity, but sometimes that pain can be caused from an abscess tooth or an injury to the mouth.

The only way to fix any of those problems is to go into the dentist, but even the best dentist might not be able to see you immediately. With a toothache sometimes even having to wait a day to get into your dentist can seem like forever. The good news is there are quite a few things you can try to help ease the pain until you can get into the dentist.

Tip one:

Try gently removing any food particles from the tooth with your toothbrush or dental floss. Afterwards swish some warm salt water around in your mouth to help ease the pain and to make sure that all of the food particles have been removed. The good thing with the warm salt water is it can be done as often as necessary.

Tip two:

When you are eating try to avoid chewing on that side of your mouth. Also try to stay away from foods that are very hot or very cold as this could cause the tooth to hurt even more. Also sticking with soft foods will help to avoid putting pressure on the tooth. Be sure to gently brush your teeth after eating to avoid having food particles stuck in the tooth.

Tip three:

Try putting a cotton ball soaked in clove oil directly on the tooth. Clove oil has soothing and infection-fighting properties that might help to relieve the pain. If this makes your tooth ache worse immediately remove the cotton ball and rinse your mouth really good with warm salt water.

Tip four:

You can also try placing a tea bag between the infected tooth and your cheek or holding the tea bag gently between your teeth.

Tip five:

A tried and true method is using an ice pack. You can use frozen vegetables in a bag, a zip lock sandwich bag with a few ice cubes, or a regular ice pack to help provide relief. Simply hold the ice pack on the outside of the cheek closest to the tooth that hurts.

Tip six:

You can also use over the counter topical medications that contain numbing medications. The medication used to numb the tooth can be lidocaine or benzocaine. Orajel is an over the counter product that you apply directly to the tooth and it usually provides instant relief.

Tip seven:

You can also take over the counter pain relievers such as aspirin, Tylenol, and ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is probably the best choice because it contains an anti-inflammatory that will reduce any swelling in your gums, as well as provide pain relief. Some people might recommend that you chew the pain relievers or rub it on your gums, but do not do this as it can cause new or further injury to the gums.

Tip eight:

If the pain does not get better or just continues to get worse you can go to the nearest emergency room to get prescription painkillers.

Regardless of what method or methods you use to help relieve the pain you need to get into the dentist as soon as possible. Remember when going to see the dentist be sure to tell him about anything you did to help relieve the pain.

Dr. Scott Watkins and Dr. William Watkins are leading dentists in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Dr. Scott Watkins and Dr. William Watkins specializes in Dallas Smile Makeovers, Dental Implants and Sedation Dentistry. Visit us for more information on Dr. Scott Watkins and Dr. William Watkins and the Wyoming Valley Smile Center, or call (570) 675-1138.

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Teeth Whitening Tips By Chloe Harkin

Most whitening procedures use hydrogen peroxide (the same chemical used to bleach hair), or carbamide peroxide to lighten stains and brighten the natural colouring of your teeth. In general, the quicker the method of bleaching (as little as one hour) the more expensive it is. Less costly methods of tooth whitening can sometimes take weeks to work. After treatment the whiteness can last for years, but this does depend on your lifestyle. Eating and drinking foods that stain tooth enamel will speed up the decline more quickly. However, regularly using whitening toothpaste, which has a very small concentration of peroxide in it, will help keep teeth brighter for longer.

TEETH WHITENING METHODS - IN BRIEF

Laser Bleaching

"I'll be the first to admit, dental office teeth whitening has come a long way in the past 10 years. Now, the most popular teeth whitening dental office procedure known as Laser Bleaching is a much shorter process. Basically this teeth whitening procedure consists of the application of a concentrated peroxide gel onto your teeth, then for the next hour you sit in a dental chair with your mouth wide open, while a special light (usually argon) is shined onto the teeth whitening paste that in turn chemically reacts with the peroxide to complete the teeth whitening process in as short a time period as possible. This teeth whitening procedure does work. Although, many dentists say that you get a whiter smile by repeated tray applications because the teeth whitening peroxide stays in contact with your teeth for longer periods of time. The downside is that you still get stuck with that fat $500 - $1,000 bill. And you still need to either come back 6 months later for another teeth whitening or you're given some take home whitening items!"

BriteSmile a leading accelerated technique is $500-$600 for a one-hour treatment. It involves gas-plasma light technology developed by a NASA scientist. A gel with 15% hydrogen peroxide is applied and then activated by light during three 20 minute sessions. A quote from BriteSmile:
"good oral hygiene and regular professional care will help maintain the BriteSmile results for about two years"

Dentist Supervised Treatments

These are generally just as effective as well as being slightly cheaper. They start from $300, but you have to watch out as some dentists will charge up to $650 for these! The dentist takes an impression of your teeth, and subsequently makes a flexible plastic mould which has a thin space for the whitening fluid. You can either wear this overnight, or wear from one to two hours a day for two weeks. Don't choose the overnight system if you are a light sleeper! The amount of carbamide peroxide in the gel can vary from 5% to 30%. For example, Colgate's overnight system uses 10% which is a fairly low concentration. High peroxide levels are obviously more effective but can irritate gums and make teeth feel sensitive.

Over the Counter

The Food and Drug Administration prohibits products sold in drugstores from having a concentration higher than 3% for hydrogen peroxide and 10% for carbamide peroxide. I will give you a few examples of the most successful brands available.

Rembrandt Plus Superior Bleaching System, $32.50: two plastic 'Comfort-Fit Mouthguards'. Wear them for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day and according to the packaging, "expect results within a week". I would personally advise that like all over the counter methods it may take more time and effort than this due to the imprecise fit of the mouth trays.

Crest Whitestrips, $44: The thin strips are inexpensive and easy to use, but they do require a fair amount of discipline and patience. You peel them off a plastic backing and stick them on your teeth for 30 minutes, twice a day. However, they only have 5% hydrogen peroxide and therefore take 28 days to show results.

Whitening Toothpastes: Let me just start off by saying that these have many drawbacks, particularly as they take a very long time to show any real results. Like many cosmetic products nowadays, many claims made are misleading. For example, the success of whitening toothpaste is directly related to how long and often you brush your teeth for. BUT, over brushing your teeth can cause the loss of tooth enamel and this can't be replaced. They are a much more effective product once laser treatment or moulds have been used, in order to prevent discolouration.

I have done a lot of independent research on the subject of teeth whitening, related treatments and products. All the information and reviews can be found at http://www.teethwhitetips.blogspot.com or an excellent free report by an industy expert can be obtained by e-mailing teethwhitetips@getresponse.com

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