Have you had sleepless nights because of unbearable toothache? Shrieked with pain biting your favorite nut? Legit cringed every time you tried to enjoy your ice-cream?

Why do you experience toothache?

Toothache is medically known as ‘odontalgia’ – ‘odont’ refers to your tooth and ‘algia’ refers to pain in ancient greek.

This kind of pain usually arises when the nerve endings of the tooth are subjected to various changes due to external or internal stimuli.  Hence these could be due to loss of protective layer, due to underlying infection, due to tooth fracture and innumerable other reasons. The eruption of the third molars is also a very common cause of pain.

While staying at home during these times of lockdown our safest options include symptomatic treatment. This is the kind of treatment that merely treats the symptoms temporarily and suspends to eliminate the root cause of the ailment.

But we would vehemently advise dental visit for any kind of emergency oral pain/swelling experienced by you and your loved ones.

Few medications for tooth pain

Whilst making best out of limited resources at home, we shall provide you an insight on different manifestations of pain. Understanding the nature, onset, duration, type, and triggers your tooth pain shall inevitably help you to better self-diagnose.

Evaluating these with the help of our expert scanO(formerly DentalDost) team shall provide you knowledge while relieving your pain at home.

Mild to moderate dull persistent toothache

Tooth pain which is neither too severe not lets you sit peacefully. The gnawing kind of pain which causes constant disturbance in daily routine and is majorly nagging in nature.

This is the kind of pain we ignore eventually leading to severe throbbing pain returning exceedingly in nature.

Home remedies for mild toothache

• You should clean your teeth thoroughly to get rid of any food lodgement. Brushing in the right manner and flossing are the main elements of a clean mouth.
• Use an interdental brush if you have spaces in between your teeth and to clean the area under your bridge if you have any.
• Saltwater gargles are advised.
• Clove oil soaked in cotton pellets because it contains eugenol which is a natural pain reliever.

Mild-Moderate Toothache painkillers

Below mentioned painkillers are easily available in India.

We are not endorsing any brand but mentioning the most common ones prescribed by well-known pharmaceutical companies. You can go for other brands as well as far as the chemical composition is the same.

1. Paracetamol 650mg (for adults) – Tab Calpol 650mg , Tab Cipmol 650mg, Dolo 650mg
2. Paracetamol (325 mg) + Ibuprofen (400 mg) – Tab Combiflam, Tab Ibupara, Tab Zupar
3. Ibuprofen 200/400mg – Tab Ibugesic, Tab Brufen

Throbbing severe unbearable pain

There are many conditions that lead to severe oral pain. It could be because of severely increased pressure inside tooth pulp, fracture of the tooth, neuralgic pain or pain radiating from your TMJ(temporomandibular joint)

Home remedies for severe toothache

• Try holding cold water in your mouth, it shall help you if the pain is due to inflammation of the nerve endings in the pulp – condition called acute pulpits.
• If the onset of pain is while biting onto something, it’s caused due to fracture of the tooth. This is a serious condition known as cracked tooth syndrome and requires emergency attention of the dentist. Attending this tooth at home would cause more harm than good.

Painkiller medication for severe toothache

There are two ways this pain can be combated: Intramuscular injection – like Dynapar AQ which comprises diclofenac 75 mg, Ketorol injection. (Given by dental professional)

Oral Medications

1. Ketorolac – Tab Ketorol DT, Tab Toradol

It helps to reduce the ‘hot tooth pain’ and significantly and gives you relief in 30-60 minutes. There is a ban on oxycodone derivatives in India. Although, medicines like Vicodin help efficiently.

Ketorol DT use

Its effect lasts from 4-6 hours. Avoid alcohol consumption with this medicine. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should avoid this medication. Patients having allergies, asthma, gastrointestinal problems should avoid this medicine. Drink an adequate amount of water to avoid stomach irritation. If you’re suffering from acidity and sensitive stomach, take an antacid like Rantac150 and Pan40 mg half an hour prior. Minimum only one tablet in six hours.

Tooth pain with external swelling

Most commonly experienced due to third molar eruption infection. Characterized also by the inability to open mouth and referred pain to the ear.

Home remedies for third molar/wisdom tooth pain

• You can use an ice-cold compress for extra-oral swellings – the application of packs help in reducing the inflamed area by vasoconstriction.
• Hot water gargles – help to soothe the swelling present inside the mouth.

Tablets and ointments to reduce third molar pain

1. Topical anesthetic/analgesic pastes help to relieve pain like Dologel CT, Mucopain paste, Kenacort 0.1% oral paste.
2. There are other options available for topical anesthetic – Nummit Spray
3. Ketorolac painkillers – Tab Toradol, Tab Ketorol DT
4. Ofloxacin (200 mg) + Ornidazole (500 mg) – Tab O2, Tab Zanocin OZThe above tablets should NOT be taken for more than twice a day, 3 days in all. (Recommended only for adults)Sometimes antibiotics are required to kill the bacteria present during swelling/excessive pain.
   DO NOT SELF PRESCRIBE ANTIBIOTICS DUE TO BACTERIAL RESISTANCE AND SIDE EFFECTS.
   
   Consult our doctors on our scanO app to understand the type of infection and get the right antibiotics prescribed.

Tooth pain due to sensitivity

It is due to either wearing off enamel exposing underlying sensitive dentin layer or exposure of root.

Home remedies for tooth sensitivity

• Modifying diet vehemently by avoiding hot and cold food items that trigger like tea, ice-cream, and coffee.
• Apply repair pastes over the affected area. Allow it to stay for a while without rinsing or consuming it.
• These help formation of the protective layer over the tooth.

Orofacial pain due to external triggers

• Orofacial pain usually in cases like trigeminal neuralgia.
• Dentists usually consult thoroughly along with immaculate patient history before diagnosis.
• They usually prescribe medications which include determination of stat dosage of medicines like Carbamazepine, Gabapentin, and Baclofen along with anti-anxiety like Alprazolam and Rivotril.
• Medications like Tramadol, Zerodol CR which help for general backaches barely help in reducing the severity of pain for the tooth.OROFACIAL PAIN COMES UNDER SPECIALIZED CATEGORY WHICH REQUIRES DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLANNING EXCLUSIVELY BY A DENTAL PROFESSIONAL.

Tooth pain in children

• Doctors determine the precise dosage always determined based on age, and bodyweight of the kid. Feel free to take oral screening on the scanO(formerly DentalDost) app for further guidance.
• For temporary purposes in scenarios lacking resources, we recommend breaking a tablet of Paracetamol 500MG into two or giving 5ml of syrup Ibegesic kid. This shall provide some relief to your kid.

None of these solve your tooth problems, just provide you with temporary relief and suppress them until we see better days.

Consult our scanO(formerly DentalDost) experts and your favorite dentists for further treatment purposes.