Antioch General Dentist with a Hard Pill to Swallow

A simple web search for “at home tooth pain relief” can certainly lead you down a road of interesting videos, pages and much more. Although the internet has given us all such an amazing ability to communicate with others (see: this blog), it also gives the ability to spread untrue rumors and information quicker and wider than ever before. Today your Antioch general dentist will be reviewing a popular dental rumor concerning pain relief at home, and the potential negative effect on your mouth.

When trying to relieve pain at home, an aspirin can go a long way for many patients. From back ache to headache and even one in the teeth, swallowing one or two of these tablets is typically the most efficient means of application.

Right now you are probably thinking: “But,of course you swallow aspirin…” right?

Well, some patients have tried placing an aspirin on, next to, or smashing one on top of a tooth to relieve the pain they were experiencing. Your Antioch general dentist cannot stress enough that this is a bad idea.

Aspirin, by their very nature, are an acidic compound. Breaking them down or having saliva dissolve them in the mouth can remove the protective coating and leave you exposed to their internals. While the chemicals may do wonders for your aches by passing through the blood stream via the digestive tract, they actually can leave a chemical burn in the mouth if kept in there too long. Don’t end up with a burn to the soft tissue of your gums and/or tongue AND a toothache- just take the aspirin as recommended.

While pain relieving products like aspirin may help temporarily fix your toothache, it is definitely not the ultimate solution. Request an appointment with your Antioch general dentist by calling (925) 777-1719 to assess and then correct the cause of your pain today!