How To Stop Nerve Pain in My Tooth?

Tooth nerve pain can make even the most enjoyable moments uncomfortable and difficult, like eating your favorite foods. If you’re experiencing nerve pain or sensitivity in your tooth, it’s likely an indication that your tooth is damaged or infected. When a tooth’s nerve gets exposed, it’s likely to respond with sensitivity, discomfort, and pain, especially when eating.

If this sounds familiar, it’s essential to seek the right treatments before the condition worsens. For instance, if your tooth is infected and you don’t treat it in time, it can spread, eventually leading to tooth loss, gum infection, jawbone infection, and other systemic conditions such as sepsis. These issues can cause the need for lengthy, expensive, and invasive treatments.

Causes of Tooth Nerve Pain

Usually, the teeth’s nerves are inside the tooth’s pulp – the innermost part of the tooth.

Nerve pain can fall into two categories:

• Pulp sensitivity or pain results from a tooth infection or decay, recent tooth filling, pressure from bruxism, and dental trauma like chips, cracks, and breaks.
• Dentinal sensitivity is nerve pain that generally happens when the tooth’s enamel is damaged or eroded. The exposed tooth dentin responds to external stimuli such as cold, heat, and acid. Common causes of dentinal sensitivity include receding gums, teeth whitening products, and untreated cavities.

Contact our emergency dentist in Marshfield, MA, if you’re experiencing severe pain or sensitivity.

How to Treat Tooth Nerve Pain

Fortunately, you can do a few things to prevent or treat tooth nerve pain. Once you visit your dentist for an dental exam and cleaning, they will establish the underlying cause and create a treatment plan to address the issue.

Based on the cause of the problem, your dentist can use the following procedures to solve the issue:

• Root canal therapy 

If an infected tooth impacts the tooth’s nerve, the dentist can perform a root canal to remove the decay or infection. The dentist drills through the tooth and removes all damaged or infected nerves and pulp from the tooth. Next, the tooth is cleaned, disinfected, and sealed to prevent re-infection. Next, the dentist fills the tooth and places a dental crown for added strength and protection.

• Dental fillings and crowns

If you have nerve pain or sensitivity caused by cavities or tooth damage, the dentist can repair the tooth with a filling. The dentist can cover the tooth with a crown to prevent sensitivity.

• Medications 

While addressing the underlying condition, the dentist can prescribe medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen to manage pain and infection. You can apply certain gels to the gums and teeth to ease the pain.

Home Remedies

As you wait for professional help, you can try some self-care remedies such as:

• Ice packs or cold compress

Applying an ice pack on the cheek around the painful tooth can help ease pain and swelling. You can do this by wrapping some ice in a towel and keeping it on the cheek for about 15 minutes. Similarly, you can try holding some ice water in your mouth for a few seconds. Don’t bite the ice, as it can cause the tooth to break.

• Saltwater rinse 

Saltwater is a disinfectant and can help control the infection and reduce inflammation. Swishing salt water can also help dislodge substances trapped between your teeth. To make the remedy, mix ½ teaspoon of salt with warm water. Take a sip, swish it around in your mouth for a few seconds, then split.

• Hydrogen peroxide rinse 

Like saltwater, hydrogen peroxide can help reduce infection and inflammation. Rinse thoroughly and split. Don’t swallow the solution.

• Avoid irritants 

You can also reduce or prevent nerve pain by avoiding items that can trigger it. These include:

• Avoid too hot or cold beverages like coffees, teas, sodas, ice cream, or water.
• Avoid too hot food.
• Avoid sugary items such as soda, cookies, and candy.
• Avoid acidic items such as lemon juice, tomatoes, and apple cider vinegar.
• Avoid disturbing the tooth with a finger or tongue.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you experiencing tooth sensitivity or pain? Contact Beautiful South Shore Smiles in Marshfield, MA, for an emergency dental appointment.