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Comfort control for Mild to Moderate dental pain
Dental pain is a very common occurrence. Pain can occur for many different reasons and should be evaluated by your dentist if it occurs unexpectedly.
Follow this tried and true method to relieve the majority of your discomfort.
3 stages of comfort control
1. Start with warm salt water rinses
Inflamed and irritated tissues can very uncomfortable and can commonly be mistaken for a toothache. Warm salt water rinses are amazing at quickly decreasing swelling, irritation and pain in oral tissues.
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Fill an 8 oz cup with warm water
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Add salt (any kind) until the water tastes salty.
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Take a sip, swish around your mouth for a few seconds, focusing on getting the warm salt water around the area of concern, then spit the salt water out into the sink.
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Repeat the sip, swish and spit until no more salt water remains
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Do this every few hours to rapidly improve how the tissues are feeling
2. Take Ibuprofen OR Tylenol medication
Ibuprofen is the best option based on its anti-inflammatory effect
400 - 600 mg every 4-6 hours. Maximum of 3200 mg every 24 hours.
Common names - Motrin and Advil. Many drug stores carry generic Ibuprofen at lower cost.
Tylenol (acetaminophen)
500-650 mg (depending on type of tylenol) every 6 hours. Maximum of 4000 mg every 24 hours.
3. Take Ibuprofen AND Tylenol
Many clinical studies have shown that combining Ibuprofen and Tylenol provides equal or better pain control then low level narcotics like Vicodin/Norco. It is especially effective because these medications effect different parts of your mind and body that are sensing the pain.
The key to getting this quality pain control is consistently timing the use of the medication from when you wake up until when you go to sleep. Missing a dose has a large negative effect on your pain control.
Method 1: This is the most effective method, but it does require timing your doses very carefully.
Leapfrog the medications every 3 hours. Take a dose of Ibuprofen, then 3 hours later take a dose of Tylenol, then three hours later take a dose of the ibuprofen, then three hours later take a dose of Tylenol. Keep repeating this cycle until you go to sleep.
Method 2:
Take both Ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time. Wait six hours and take your next dose of each. Keep repeating until you go to bed.
4. If your pain is NOT related to a recent dental treatment, then you must get in for evaluation ASAP.
Any time a tooth is surgically worked on, there is always the possibility of a short span of discomfort. Your dentist will discuss this with you after treatment, and typically be recommending the above regimen to keep you comfortable while the tooth calms down.
If your discomfort is NOT related to any recent treatment, the odds are high that it could be related to a dead or dying nerve, infection, or a severe gum tissue problem. Every one of those problems will only get worse with time. DO NOT use this pain control method to ignore the problem. Get in with a dentist ASAP to at least evaluate what is happening in your mouth.
5. Situations where you CANNOT use this method
There are certain health conditions or medication combinations that prevent you from being able to safely use ibuprofen, tylenol or both.
Do not use Ibuprofen in the following circumstances:
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High risk of heart attack
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Just before or after Coronary Bypass Graft Surgery (CBGS)
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Severe, uncontrolled heart failure
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Severe Hypertension (high blood pressure)
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History of stomach ulcers, GI bleeds or perforations
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Inflammatory bowel diseases - Crohns, ulcerative colitis, etc
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Aspirin sensitive asthma
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Allergies to NSAIDs
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Pregnancy
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Severe liver or kidney disease
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Use of blood thinners like Warfarin
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Corticosteroid (strong) use
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Physician recommends against use
Do not use Acetaminophen/Tylenol in the following circumstances:
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Severe Liver disease or Cirrhosis
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Alcohol use of 3+ drinks/day
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Allergy to Tylenol
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Phenylketonuria (PKU)
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Use of blood thinners like Warfarin
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​Physician recommends against use