Tips for Taking Pain Medication for Dental Pain

Dental pain can make you irritable, interfere with your sleep, and affect your daily life in multiple ways. The right medication and pain management strategies can help you maintain a semblance of your normal life. However, irresponsible use of pain medication is also dangerous. Below are some tips for responsible pain medication use.

You can use different drugs to manage your dental pain — be sure to choose the right drug. For example, choose anti-inflammatory medication if you have swollen oral tissues, such as swollen gums. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are good examples. Analgesics work well for oral tissue irritations, such as oral blisters or sores.

Start with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs before you progress to prescription drugs. All drugs have their pros and cons, and the cons include potential side effects. However, OTC drugs tend to cause fewer side effects than stronger prescription drugs.

In addition, OTC drugs do not usually cause addiction as prescription pain drugs do. Ensure you get prescription pain medications from your dentist before taking the drugs. Don't take prescription drugs without a doctor's involvement, even if you can somehow get them.

The potential side effects of drugs usually depend on the quantity of a drug in your system at any time. Many drugs have a dosage range. Start with the lowest dosage possible to minimize the quantity of drugs in your system.

For example, a pharmacist may advise you to take two to three tablets of a certain drug every four to six hours. The lowest dose is two tablets every six hours in this case. You can increase the dosage (that you should never exceed) if your pain doesn't abate.

Unlike other drugs, you don't have to take all the pain medication you got from the pharmacist. For example, your bacterial infection might reappear or fail to go away if you stop taking your antibiotic prescription halfway through the dosage. That is not the case with pain medication that you can safely stop taking as soon as you feel better.

You may need your dentist's help to stop taking opioid pain medications. Abrupt cessation of opioids might trigger uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. The longer you take the opioids, the more you need help to stop taking them.

Keep your dentist in the loop as far as your pain medication goes. For example:

• Your dentist should know all drugs you are taking aside from your pain medication. Your dentist will use the knowledge to help you avoid dangerous drug interactions.
• You should inform your dentist if you stop taking your medication or change the dosage. That will help your dentist know whether the medication is working.
• You should not source pain medication without consulting your dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment. Pain medication will not solve your dental problems by itself.

In short, avoid self-medication as much as possible.

Note that you do not have to take drugs to control dental pain. These alternatives may help:

• Use a cold compress on the cheek with the affected tooth.
• Use natural herbs or spices, such as garlic, peppermint, and vanilla extracts.
• Rinse your mouth with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water (an equal parts mixture is adequate).
• Give your mouth a saline rinse.

The alternatives are especially useful if you experience emergency dental pain. Use whatever is available, such as salt and water, until you see the dentist.

Bradley Piotrowski, DDS, MSD, LLC, is a certified periodontist with decades of experience. We use the latest technology to give our patients impeccable dental care. Contact us for all your dental problems and relieve your pain in the right way.