21/04/2023
When it comes to toothaches, there are lots of myths and misconceptions. Don’t take any chances regarding your health – learn the facts about toothaches. These are the top five myths about toothaches we often hear from patients.
➡️A toothache means I have a cavity.
Sometimes a toothache can be caused by a cavity or early decay, but not always. A toothache could be associated with your bite, grinding, a chip or crack, a fracture, or nerve problems.
➡️Toothaches are common and normal; I should chew on the other side.
While toothaches are common, they are an indication of a problem and should not be ignored. The longer you ignore or put up with a toothache, the worse the problem will become. If the ache is from a cavity, the cavity can rapidly decay more and more. If the ache is from nerve problems, the nerve may die if left untreated and worse still, chewing on only one side of the dentition (unilateral mastication) usually leads to the accumulation of plaque and calculus on the contralateral side, leading to tooth decay and periodontitis
➡️A toothache will be cured with painkillers or antibiotics.
This is not the case. While taking panadol or nurofen can temporarily ease the pain, antibiotics can fight infection surrounding the tooth, neither of these are cures or permanent solutions. The problem is still there and will only get worse.
➡️If the toothache improves, the problem is solved.
Even if the severity of your toothache improves or seems to disappear, it doesn’t mean the problem is resolved. Decay can cause pain and sensitivity that comes and goes, or it could mean you don’t feel the pain anymore because the nerve has died. Always see the dentist.
➡️Sensitivity toothpaste will fix the toothache.
A toothache that responds to hot or cold foods or drinks may temporarily be eased by sensitive toothpaste; however, as with most other short-term remedies, this isn’t a permanent solution and won’t fix the cause of the toothache.
➡️Extracting the affected tooth is the only solution to a toothache.
Extraction is not always necessary to treat a toothache. In many cases, the underlying cause of the toothache can be addressed with less invasive treatments, such as fillings, root canals, or antibiotics. A dentist can determine the best course of treatment based on the cause and severity of the toothache.
➡️Placing Aspirin on a tooth can relief the pain
Do not put aspirin on your tooth. Aspirin does nothing to relieve pain when applied topically, and could result in a nasty acid burn on your cheek and gums.
Conclusively, A toothache DOES NOT mean you will lose the tooth. There are treatments that can save even badly infected teeth. If the pain is off-and-on, you still need a checkup. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. It shouldn’t be ignored.
