1. My tooth is throbbing and has kept me up all night. Is there anything I can take to help control the discomfort? What is the problem?
A throbbing type of pain is usually indicative of a nerve problem. The best medication to take for this discomfort, as long as there are no medical contraindications for its use in your case ( you may need to consult your physician to check to see if there is any reason not to use this medication), is Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). These types of medications are anti-inflammatory and can be helpful. You can also try other types of analgesics as well. Most often a prescription for an antibiotic is indicated but this will require a call to the office.
There is also a possibility that the nerve in this tooth has died. If that is true it will be necessary to have Root Canal Therapy (Endodontics) done in order to avoid potential infection and increased discomfort.
2. My tooth broke and there is a sharp edge that is cutting my tongue. Is there anything I can do to protect my tongue from injury?
The best thing to do for a sharp or chipped edge of a tooth is to find a candle, heat it up until you can mold a small piece of the wax. Place the piece of wax on the broken tooth to protect your tongue and cheek and then call the office.
3. My tooth or my child's tooth fell out or was knocked out. What can I do?
If you are bleeding for any reason from an extraction site, you need to call us as soon as possible. DO NOT TAKE ANY ASPIRIN. Aspirin is an anti-coagulant and can exacerbate the problem.
If, for some reason, you are not able to call us then go to your kitchen and find a tea bag. Wet it, fold it and place it on the extraction site. Tea has tannic acid which is a mild coagulant and should help with the bleeding. Placing pressure on the site is also advisable and can be accomplished by rolling up several pieces of gauze into a tight ball, placing it on the extraction site and biting down on the gauze. If the bleeding persists please call us immediately.
The type of bleeding we are talking about refers to post extraction issues. Gums can bleed if periodontally they are not healthy. Although certainly requiring treatment, this should not be cause for alarm.
