WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE TOOTH PAIN DURING COVID-19?

During this COVID-19 pandemic when most countries are going under a lockdown, emergency and essential services are still going on and providing their services. All medical establishments have been notified only to undertake emergency treatments and avoid all elective procedures at the moment. Tooth pain may fall under the emergency treatment category. So the first line of treatment should be to contact your Dentist/Dental clinic and see if they can give you an appointment to resolve the same. At this time your dentist/dental clinic may at first provide you with a telephonic or online consultation to analyze your problem and to judge if it can be resolved without an in-clinic appointment. Only if essentially required you may be given an emergency appointment for the treatment needed. In case the dentist /dental clinic you approach does not take this measure to avoid going to them as necessary preventive measures which are the need of the hour to prevent the spread of infection are not being taken by them. Also Read: SHOULD YOU GO TO THE DENTISTDURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC? In case you are in pain but want to avoid going out, then here are some measures that may give you some  relief till the time you are not able to visit the dentist for  an in-clinic appointment:

1. 1. Warm saline rinses: A vigorous salt water rinse can act as the first line of treatment in a lot of cases when the pain is due to inflammation of gums or food lodgement. Saltwater acts as a natural disinfectant and can result in reducing inflammation and faster healing of tissues.
   2. Hydrogen Peroxide rinse: Hydrogen peroxide is a very potent antimicrobial agent. Thus is quite effective if tooth pain is caused due to an infection. Care should be taken to dilute it properly before use; 1 part of 3% hydrogen peroxide mouthwash mixed with an equal amount of water to be swished in the mouth for about 30-40 seconds.
   3. Cold compress or ice pack application: Cold compress is especially helpful if the pain is due to an injury or trauma. This helps by reducing inflammation and numbing the area thus causing reduced pain. If this helps it should be reapplied every few hours for about 10-15 minutes.
   4. Chamomile or Peppermint tea bags: Moist tea bags can be used by the application to the affected area. They may cause soothing action to the painful area.
   5. Clove or Clove oil: Clove or clove oil can be used very effectively in tooth pain. It has an active ingredient called eugenol which has a numbing and soothing action due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action, thus acting as a natural pain reliever. The whole cloves can be used as such and clenched in the area of pain or clove oil can be applied cotton and placed in the area.
   6. Garlic: Garlic has an active ingredient in the form of Acillin, which has natural antibacterial properties. Thus it is quite effective in tooth pain control. Garlic cloves can be crushed to create a paste and applied in the affected area or raw garlic can be chewed slowly in the pain area.
   7. Water Flossing / Thread flossing: Tooth pain a lot of times can be due to lodged/stuck food. Through flossing measures, the stuck food can be loosened and cleaned thus resulting in pain relief.
   8. Over the counter medication: Anti-inflammatory analgesics can be used as a pain control measure if needed. Ideally, any medication should only be taken after consulting your doctor/dentist.

While the above are temporary relief measures, once you are able to go out, do visit your dentist and get the necessary treatment done. Dent Ally is one of the best dental clinics in Delhi and is known for relieving pain and providing high-quality treatments. Dent Ally has a team of 13 experienced and highly trained dentists who work together in a team to provide comprehensive high-quality treatment.