Whilst we are prioritising dental emergencies at the moment, you may be asked to wait a short while longer for a non-emergency appointment. If you are unsure whether your dental issue is a dental emergency, please check here for the latest guidance. We understand this may be frustrating, so we’ve compiled some useful advice for coping with dental pain at home.
Toothache can have any number of causes, but if the pain comes and goes or is a dull ache, you will be asked to stay at home for now. The following recommendations and remedies can help to relieve or prevent your symptoms:
Sensitive teeth are another very common problem which can be managed at home. Similarly to toothache, avoiding very sugary, acidic, hot or cold foods will help stop your teeth reacting. There are many specialist sensitive toothpastes available in supermarkets which can have benefits too. However, the most important thing you can do is maintain good oral hygiene, and don’t rinse your mouth after spitting out the toothpaste when you brush, so your teeth have time to benefit from the toothpaste.
This can usually be remedied by maintaining good oral hygiene at home. The most common cause of this is gum disease and is caused when there is too much plaque built up on your teeth. Brushing regularly will remove this substance and allow your gums to heal.
Pain when biting down can be caused by tooth decay, a loose filling or a crack in your tooth. We would recommend booking an appointment as soon as possible, once we resume our usual services. For now, we need to prioritise emergency treatments and so to manage the pain, ask a pharmacist about over the counter painkillers and try to avoid any hard, crunchy or chewy foods.
If the swelling is causing you difficulty with breathing or is affecting your vision, or you are struggling to open your mouth or swallow, please visit your local A&E department immediately.
You should contact your dentist to see if you require antibiotics, they may be able to prescribe you this over the phone. You can also use a cold compress and rinse your mouth with a saltwater solution regularly to reduce the swelling.
These will usually heal on their own in 1-2 weeks. If your ulcer hasn’t healed after 2 weeks, please contact us.
To relieve the pain of mouth ulcers at home, the following can help:
It is to be expected that for the 3-4 days following a tooth extraction, you will experience some pain and bleeding. To speed up the healing process we would recommend:
If you are experiencing pain caused by your brace, there are usually steps you can take at home which will reduce the pain. Pain may be caused by the wires digging in or from your braces rubbing.
Check out Bupa’s advice for treating common orthodontic problems here.