Toothache pain medication for cavities at home, pharmacies, and dentists

You can feel toothache when you have cavities. If the pain is unbearable, brushing your teeth is not enough. Here are some choices of toothache pain medications for pain and aches that are claimed to work for you.

Choice of toothache pain medication that is easy to get

Quoted from Mayo Clinic , untreated cavities can get worse. The hole will get bigger and the process of decay affects every layer of the tooth down to the root.

This certainly makes cavities even more painful. When you visit the dentist, the doctor will not immediately take certain actions but prescribe medication to first treat pain due to cavities. Then the doctor will advise you to come back another time when the pain has subsided.

Now while waiting for the next treatment schedule, here are the drug options at the pharmacy that you can use to relieve pain in cavities:

1. Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a drug that blocks the production of prostaglandins in the brain, thereby stopping pain. This medication is available in the form of tablets, caplets, dissolved tablets, suppositories, capsules, syrup, or injections.

This drug is safe for consumption to treat pain due to cavities in all people, from children to pregnant and lactating women.

Dosage of paracetamol for treating toothache pain:

• Adults: 500 mg orally every 4-6 hours. The maximum amount of paracetamol for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per day.
• Children 12 or older: 325-650 mg every 4-6 hours or 1000 mg every 6-8 hours.
• Children older than 6 months to 12 years: 10-15 mg / kg / dose every 4-6 hours as needed and do not exceed 5 doses in 24 hours.

Before taking this toothache medicine, make sure you are not allergic to acetaminophen or paracetamol. Do not take this medication if you have serious liver and kidney problems.

Immediately stop using the drug and contact your doctor if you experience serious side effects, such as an allergic reaction to the drug, unusual stomach pain, dark urine, pale stools, feeling unwell (weak / lethargic), and skin and yellowing eyes.

2. Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is an NSAID pain reliever drug. The way it works is similar to the drug paracetamol, which stops the production of prostaglandins that trigger pain and inflammation due to cavities.

The dosage of ibuprofen for toothache pain:

• Adults and teenagers: 200- 400 mg every 4 to 6 hours, depending on the need and the pain you feel. The highest dose limit is 3200 mg / day (if you get it by prescription).
• Children over 6 months: the dosage is adjusted for body weight. This dose is usually determined by your doctor, but is usually 10 mg / kg every 6-8 hours or 40 mg / kg per day. Giving ibuprofen to children should be under the supervision of a doctor.

This medication may cause mild side effects which include nausea, vomiting, flatulence, nervousness, headache, ringing in the ears, indigestion such as constipation or diarrhea. Most of these problems resolve on their own.

However, be aware of side effects such as chest pain, shortness of breath, black / bloody stools, dark urine, and yellowing of the skin and eyes. If you experience this, stop using the drug immediately and contact your doctor.

If the pain has disappeared, you should stop using this drug. The reason is, ibuprofen should not be consumed in the long term.

Also avoid taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach as it will injure the stomach. You can take this medicine with a glass of milk to reduce side effects.

Treatment of cavities at home without medication

Before going to the doctor, you can also treat cavities with natural treatments. Natural treatment for cavities is claimed to strengthen tooth enamel by supporting the remineralization process, thereby preventing the formation of cavities that cause cavities.

1. Using a special toothpaste

When you clean or brush your teeth, of course you need toothpaste for cavities. One of the remedies for cavities is to use toothpaste with fluoride content.

This content is claimed to be able to prevent cavities because it inhibits bacterial growth, this content is also useful for remineralizing tooth enamel by attracting other minerals such as calcium at the site of damage.

Then, this content also stimulates production fluorapatite , tooth enamel that is resistant to acids and bacteria. The thing to remember, this toothpaste with cavities can not close the holes that have formed, but only slows down the rate of development.

2. Take vitamin D.

Is your body getting enough vitamin D? Vitamin D can be used as a medicine to treat cavities, this vitamin is able to help absorb calcium and phosphate from food or drinks.

According to a 2013 study, supplements in vitamin D can help reduce cavities significantly. Apart from special supplements, you can also get cavities from dairy products, yogurt, eggs, and omega 3 oils.

3. Consuming vitamins K1 and K2

Studies show that vitamin K can utilize a special protein that has the ability to distribute calcium and phosphorus to teeth and bones.

You can get vitamin K from kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, beet greens, turnip greens, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, beef, eggs, cheese, butter, fermented cod liver oil and vitamin K supplements.

4. Brush with clove oil

Take advantage of clove oil as a remedy for cavities. The eugenol content in it has antiseptic properties and is effective against bacteria. Therefore, clove oil is often used as a natural toothache remedy for cavities and aches.

Several studies have also shown that clove oil can reduce pain during needle insertion in dentistry.

In addition to directly applying the oil to the sore tooth area, you can also use a cotton swab and stick it on the tooth area for 10 to 15 seconds.

Research published in Journal of Dentistry even reported that clove oil can replace the role of the drug benzocaine to relieve minor pain.

However, the use of cloves as a natural dental remedy cannot be done by those of you who have allergies. Clove oil is also not recommended for those of you who have blood disorders.

Consult your doctor first if you have a history of illness, children, pregnant women, the elderly and have weak immunity before using this natural method.

5. Rub aloe vera

Usually applied to hair or face, you can also use aloe vera as a cavity medicine.

The content in it can help fight bacteria that cause cavities in your teeth. Research in 2015 also stated that the anti-bacterial compounds from aloe vera gel were claimed to be effective at killing harmful bacteria in the mouth.

6. Gargle salt water

When there are problems with your mouth, you can try gargling with a mixture of warm water and salt water. This method can also be used as a toothache medicine for cavities.

Gargling with salt water regularly is claimed to help remove bacteria from the gums, clean teeth, and prevent plaque buildup and tartar. Not only that, this method can also help prevent infection.

7. Oil pulling

This Ayurvedic alternative treatment can also be used as a remedy for cavities.

A study conducted in 2009 found that using either sesame oil or coconut oil as a oil pulling able to reduce the intensity of plaque and bacteria to the same level as mouthwash.

8. Ice compress

How to deal with and treat this one cavity toothache is fast, cheap, and effective. You simply wrap a few ice cubes in a thin washcloth. After that, apply a cold compress to the cheek that hurts.

The cold ice will numb the nerves that trigger the pain, thereby temporarily relieving the pain in the tooth problem.

You can compress the sore tooth several times a day until the pain subsides. If you don't have ice cubes, you can rinse your mouth with cold water.

Treatment of cavities at the doctor

Apart from taking medications and home remedies that you can do yourself, the most effective way to treat cavities is to see a dentist. Especially considering that the holes in the teeth can no longer close by themselves.

Here's how to deal with cavities done by doctors:

1. Fluoride treatment

If the holes in your teeth are still small, doctors can perform treatment using a gel fluoride .

This cavity treatment is claimed to help restore tooth enamel. Fluoride can sometimes seal holes in teeth in the early stages of their formation. This is because the fluoride content used by dentists is higher than that in toothpaste and mouthwash.

2. The filling of the holes in the teeth

Usually you are familiar with dental fillings to cover the holes.

This treatment is often the first choice when the hole is getting bigger and there has been early decay.

The material of the fillings can come from composite resin, poselen, or amalgam. Make sure you get some pain relief before starting treatment.

3. Installation of the crown

When cavities result in further tooth decay, you will need to perform further treatment such as fitting a dental crown.

Previously, teeth that were damaged or rotten would be cleaned first. Then, the crown will be made of porcelain, resin, or even gold, which has been adapted to suit your teeth.

This treatment is also needed when your teeth are weak so that they function to replace the natural crown.

4. Root canal treatment

If your cavity has reached the bottom layer of your teeth, taking medication or fillings and crowning is not enough to stop the pain.

You will need other types of treatment such as root canal treatment. This treatment serves to repair and save teeth that are badly damaged or infected by removing the pulp.

Not only that, there are certain drugs that can be inserted through the root canal so that cavities do not occur.

5. Remove the tooth

Not everyone wants their teeth removed permanently. However, this treatment can be the ultimate solution if all the drugs and other treatments do not work to cure cavities.

Tooth extraction can be done when the tooth has been badly damaged and cannot be saved anymore.

It should also be noted that after the tooth is removed, there will be a gap that makes other teeth shift, so there is a possibility that you will need an implant as a replacement tooth.