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Toothache - any advice?

(36 Posts)
TriciaF Mon 25-Aug-14 15:01:14

Try to see the dentist asap.
I don't mean to be alarmist, but poison from a tooth can affect other organs in the body.

petallus Mon 25-Aug-14 14:56:09

Same here. The tooth has been mildly troublesome for months but my dentist could see nothing wrong. It really hurts now so something is going on.

I've sent DH out for clove oil and Ibuprofen.

The whisky still seems to be doing the trick (held against the tooth, not swigged) and although I've never cared much for the taste before, I find it is growing on me!

janerowena Mon 25-Aug-14 14:37:10

I had a toothache for months and nothing showed up on x-rays. Until the tooth finally split through a hairline crack and half fell out, I lived on clove oil, bonjela and nurofen in rotation!

henetha Mon 25-Aug-14 13:53:22

Toothache is hell. Good luck petalllus. I've read that cloves works.
Meanwhile keep taking the whisky. grin. Hope you can get to a dentist soon.

petallus Mon 25-Aug-14 13:35:47

Oh thanks, more replied whilst I was typing.

Gnet is wonderful!

petallus Mon 25-Aug-14 13:35:11

Thanks. I tried 111 and after the young man had asked me many questions, he recommended seeing a dentist within the next three days grin.

That first swig of whisky is still having an effect. Also Boots Pharmacy have recommended a gell so fingers crossed.

Coolgran65 Mon 25-Aug-14 13:34:37

Oil of cloves really helped me to get through a weekend until I got to the dentist.

I've also done the cold water bit, I thought that when the water warmed in the mouth it then lost it's effectiveness, so I had a big bottle with ice in it topped up with water and just kept swigging and swilling. That got me through a few hours until my emergency appointment.

There is usually a 'local' Dental Emergency Walk In Clinic. Ours is 20 miles away and it is open for a couple of hours evening/weekend/bank holiday.
Ringing our dentist gives us the number and the details.

Dentist told me that Ibuprofen is the best pain relief medication for dental pain.

Good luck - dental pain is agony.

janeainsworth Mon 25-Aug-14 13:34:32

Ibuprofen 400mg 3 times a day is the best if you can take them.
Otherwise paracetamol 500mg.
Don't reduce the dose, it will not be as effective.

kittylester Mon 25-Aug-14 13:30:15

Look on NHS Choices website or phone 111 (assuming you're in England). Phone your own dentist, or any other dentist, who should have an emergency number on their answer phone - it's part of their contract!

Drink whisky!

whitewave Mon 25-Aug-14 13:23:37

painkillers?

Dentist?

Poor you, toothache is all consuming when it is bad

petallus Mon 25-Aug-14 13:21:34

I've got quite bad toothache in a back tooth where I had a deep filling some time ago. Wow it hurts! Holding cold water on the tooth helps for a minute. Holding whisky on it helps for five minutes before the pain starts again. I don't think I can spend the day swigging whisky though.

Any advice appreciated. I've heard of oil of cloves and wonder whether to try that.