Dental Procedure Pain: Get the Facts

3 Things To Know About Tooth Pain

A toothache can come in all forms. Some cause dull pain and are persistent, while others can cause sharp pain and only come on in certain situations. In fact, some people report that their toothache hurts more when they are trying to sleep at night. Here is what you need to know about your tooth-related pain and why it may hurt more in some situations.

Raised Blood Pressure Can Increase Pain

One reason why a toothache may hurt more at night is because of your blood pressure. Your blood pressure increases when you are laying down, which causes the blood to push against the nerves in your teeth. It is very similar to having different pressure in your sinuses when you lay down at night. 

You may find that having your head elevated more at night can help reduce the pain to make the toothache more tolerable until you're able to see a dentist. You may also want to avoid exercising, because working out can also cause your blood pressure to increase temporarily.

Tooth Infections Can Cause Increased Pain

Your toothache may be caused by a tooth infection that you are unaware of. Pay attention to when the pain seems to come on the most. Does it hurt when you bite down on foods with a specific tooth, with pain only coming on when there is pressure put on the tooth? Does the tooth have a sensitivity to heat? These are some signs that you have an infection and need a root canal to fix it. 

Schedule an appointment soon as possible if you are experiencing these symptoms. A dentist may be able to prescribe you an antibiotic to help deal with the infection and get the pain to not feel as bad until you can get that root canal. 

Tooth Pain Can Be Treated Temporarily 

You can use medication to help treat your tooth pain, but make sure that you are taking the right kind. You will want to take an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, to get the maximum impact on your tooth-related pain. It will also help to place a cold compress on the outside of your mouth to help. This is due to how the cold temperatures will restrict the blood flow going to the tooth that is affected, which reduces the blood pressure in the area and can help it feel better.

Reach out to your dentist if you are experiencing an issue with tooth-related pain.


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