When a dental emergency strikes, you will know about it. The vast majority of people will agree that facing severe dental pain is distressing and so you’ll need to find the best dentist in Greenvale to resolve your problem. If you’re reading this and you’re experiencing severe pain, it’s time to learn some tips for managing it.

Look for swelling

If you’re experiencing severe dental pain and you’ve not encountered any dental trauma, check the area for swelling. Swelling often indicates that there’s an abscess, which your Greenvale dentist will need to check out.

When abscesses are left untreated, they don’t get any better. In a small number of cases, they cause systemic infections that make the problem worse. Depending on the location of the abscess, the infections can become quite serious.

Use appropriate pain killers

After finding the best dentist in Greenvale for treating your problem, use painkillers to reduce the pain. If you’re able to take it, Ibuprofen will have the best effects. It works directly on the pain-causing chemicals your body produces and fights inflammation.

If you’re unable to take Ibuprofen, or if Ibuprofen alone doesn’t work, try paracetamol. Paracetamol tackles pain differently and it disrupts some of the signals your brain receives. With either painkiller, you can lessen the pain until you’re able to see a dentist.

Use a cold compress

Another way to tackle pain and reduce swelling is to use a cold compress. Try wrapping some frozen vegetables in a towel or ice, then apply it to the swelling for 15 minutes. The ice will reduce the pain slightly and it will vasoconstrict any nearby blood vessels that are promoting swelling.

Never apply a hot or warm compress to an abscess. Although you’ll experience some relief, the warmth results in vasodilation. When vasodilation occurs, there’s a stronger risk of the infection spreading elsewhere. If you’ve accidentally used a warm compress, contact your Greenvale dentist for further advice.

Try using saltwater

As the best dentists in Greenvale will know, saltwater is an old remedy but a good one. Unfortunately, it won’t wipe out your infection. However, it does reduce swelling by osmosis. When there’s more salt on the inside of your mouth than the outside, you’ll temporarily draw fluid away from the infected area.

By drawing fluid away, you reduce inflammation. When there’s less inflammation, you experience less pain as nerves in the nearby area aren’t being irritated. If you’re unsure about using saltwater, contact your Greenvale dentist for further advice.

In most cases, your dentist will be able to treat your abscess in their clinic. They may also offer you antibiotics to take afterwards. In a small number of patients, it’s necessary to see a maxillofacial specialist. However, we’ll try to treat you in-house wherever possible.

If you’re dealing with severe dental pain that you believe is related to an abscess, request an emergency appointment by calling 03 9333 6854.