Mefenamic acid for toothache, is more effective than paracetamol?

People say, toothache is very painful, no one can match it. Therefore, medicine is needed to relieve pain due to toothache. Usually, drugs that are recommended for toothaches are those containing mefenamic acid. Not infrequently, paracetamol can also be used to relieve toothache. However, between mefenamic acid and paracetamol, which one is better? Is mefenamic acid for toothache more effective to use?

Mefenamic acid for toothache

Toothache is pain or pain around the teeth which may be caused by cavities, swollen teeth, tooth fractures, teeth grinding (tooth grinding), or gum infection. Apart from pain, other symptoms you may feel when you have a toothache are swelling around your teeth, fever, and headaches. To relieve these symptoms, you need to take medication. One of the remedies for toothache is mefenamic acid.

Mefenamic acid is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that works to reduce pain and inflammation in various bone and muscle problems, including toothaches. This drug works by inhibiting the action of cyclo-oxygenase substances which are involved in the production of various body chemicals, one of which is prostaglandins. These prostaglandins are produced by the body when you have certain injuries, diseases, or conditions that cause pain, inflammation, and swelling.

By inhibiting the action of the cyclo-oxygenase substance, prostaglandin production is also inhibited. Thus, the pain caused by prostaglandins will be reduced. That way, mefenamic acid can help reduce the pain you feel due to toothache. Usually, mefenamic acid for toothaches is available in tablet and syrup form.

Paracetamol for toothache

Paracetamol is also a pain reliever drug, such as headaches, toothaches, and also reduces fever. Paracetamol is often the first recommendation for treating pain because it is safe for consumption for most people and rarely causes side effects.

However, unlike mefenamic acid, paracetamol cannot relieve inflammation. Paracetamol will only block the sending of "pain" messages to the brain, so you feel less pain. Paracetamol will work better for treating toothache when used with aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Usually, paracetamol doses of 400-500 mg can be used to treat toothaches. You can also increase the dosage to 1000 mg. However, you need to remember that paracetamol in excessive doses can cause liver damage, especially when taken with two or three painkillers.

So, which one is more effective as a toothache medicine: mefenamic acid or paracetamol?

Judging from these functions, you can both use mefenamic acid and paracetamol to treat toothaches. The difference is, paracetamol can only relieve pain, while you can use mefenamic acid to relieve pain and inflammation.

The use of paracetamol to treat toothaches is also more effective when combined with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. So, if you have a toothache, it will be more effective if you treat it with drugs containing mefenamic acid.

Remember, take the drug according to the directions for use, do not exceed the recommended dose or take the drug for too long. If your toothache does not go away after you take the medicine, you should check with your doctor.