How to Treat Dental Pain If you're experiencing painful toothaches, there are some quick ways to relieve the discomfort. Use ice therapy. Ice will numb the pain by numbing the nerves. Do not combine ice therapy with a heating pack, as this only exacerbates the pain. Avoid sweet fo ods, as they increase tooth pain. You can also use salt water to clean the area around your tooth and draw out a liquid causing swelling. Check out Embrace Dental Care for more information. NSAIDs There are several reasons why you should avoid using NSAIDs for dental pain: 1. They may interact with prescription drugs you may already be taking. They should also be used as directed on the label to avoid serious side effects. 2. OTC pain relievers are available over the counter, so you must ask your healthcare provider about safe options. 3. If you're not careful, NSAIDs can damage your liver and cause serious side effects. When considering the best pain relief option, you'll want to consider a range of nonsteroidal anti - inflammatory d rugs (NSAIDs) paired with acetaminophen. These medications provide more relief than opioids and have fewer side effects. In addition, over - the - counter NSAIDs are typically less expensive than prescription opioids, so it's better to use them before you need to go to a doctor. Saliva substitutes Saliva substitutes are oral sprays or gels used to replace lost saliva. They are generally supplied in spray bottles. While they are not a cure - all for dental pain, they may provide some pain relief. The primary purpo se of saliva substitutes is to relieve dry mouth and help you feel normal again. However, if the product causes a dry mouth, you should talk to a doctor before using it. Saliva replacement products are often prescribed to people with dry mouths because the y mimic the protective qualities of natural human saliva. They use different polymers to thicken the mouthwash, including xanthan gum, polyacrylic acid, and carboxymethylcellulose. Some are also bio - active and contain antimicrobial peptides that suppress m ucosal inflammation. This treatment can be used with other therapies, such as changing the diet and drinking more water. Antibiotics Usually, the dentist prescribes antibiotics for dental pain as soon as the patient shows signs of infection. Antibiotics ar e most effective in cases of periapical abscess, where bacteria in the tooth's pulp invade the connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. In such cases, the antibiotics are not as effective. However, antibiotics can help alleviate the symptoms and speed up the recovery. Although antibiotics are effective in treating tooth infections, it is essential to take the entire course prescribed by the dentist to prevent the disease from recurring. Taking antibiotics too soon may worsen the condition and make trea ting it more challenging. If left untreated, antibiotics can also result in a severe condition called a dental abscess. Therefore, taking the prescribed antibiotics as soon as you feel any pain is essential. Root canal treatment If you experience any denta l pain, you should schedule a root canal treatment as soon as possible. While root canals may be uncomfortable, they are not as painful as many people fear. Root canals are a fairly standard procedure; most patients report minimal to no pain. A little disc omfort is expected after the process, but the pain should disappear within a few days. The pain from a root canal should decrease over time, but if you experience persistent pain after the treatment, you should visit your dentist. Typically, most people ne ed just one or two root canal cleaning sessions. However, more frequent sessions are necessary if the pain is very severe. The pain can be relieved with over - the - counter medication, such as ibuprofen or a prescription - strength narcotic painkiller.