The first gestures. We make an appointment with the dentist right away. Toothache is a symptom of inflammation due to a cavity, pulpitis or abscess, most of the time. Either way, you need to get treatment. Then, we think about brushing our teeth thoroughly after (and between!) meals to dislodge the bacteria responsible for the inflammation as much as possible. If you have an antiseptic mouthwash on hand, use it, but no more than twice a day to avoid any risk of irritation. And we stay, as much as we can, sitting or standing, because lying down promotes pain (hey, yes!).
Natural remedies. Cloves, it works! In addition to being anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, it is anesthetic. It is crushed with a pestle and massaged into the gums with the tip of the index finger up to six times a day, or else it is simply chewed. In addition, you can slip a few ice cubes into a tea towel or a washcloth, to leave where it hurts. It should already be better.
The medication option. An anesthetic gingival solution (Dentobaume type), to be applied with a cotton ball to the painful area. If that's not enough (or if you don't have it on hand), you switch to painkillers, but not just any. We forget the aspirin which tends to thin the blood:not tip top in case of emergency surgery. Ibuprofen is also avoided without the advice of the dentist. If it is very effective against pain, it risks aggravating the symptoms in the event of an abscess. We prefer paracetamol, to be taken every 4 to 6 hours, and no more than six times a day. If it does not get better, it can be combined with codeine (same dosage). All this, no more than 48 hours without a medical prescription.
