Dental emergencies, such as lost teeth and fillings or severe dental pain can happen at anytime of the day or night, regardless of whether the dentist is open or not.
As such it is helpful for people to be aware of ways in which they can ease the pain for themselves or their families until they can see a professional.
Speaking to HealthNewsDigest.com, cosmetic and restorative dentist Dr Jonathon Abenaim has suggested number of ways in which people can deal with dental emergencies on their own.
Most toothache is caused by tooth decay, which requires dental treatment as soon as possible. However, Dr Abenaim recommends that people can temporarily alleviate the discomfort by taking pain relievers such as paracetamol, aspirin, and acetaminophen or anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.
Other home remedies include rinsing the mouth with salt water or dabbing some clove oil directly on the bad tooth. Clove oil is widely used by dentists for its anti-bacterial and numbing properties.
When a filling or an entire tooth has fallen out and is causing pain, people can cover the affected area with a soft piece of chewing gum to protect it until proper treatment is sought, he suggested.
Wet tea bags can even be used to treat gum pain - they contain astringent tannins, which have the power to shrink swollen tissue and stop bleeding.
According to the American Dental Association, the best thing to do if a tooth has been knocked out is to put it in milk immediately.
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