Anyone who has experienced a toothache knows that while toothache itself is not a disease, the pain can be excruciating — especially at night. Many toothache sufferers not only fail to get proper rest but also have to endure the pain, sometimes suffering through an entire night, and wake up the next morning with a swollen face. So what are the good ways to relieve nighttime toothache, and what causes it?
1. When you lie down in bed at night, blood flow in the body speeds up, increasing the volume of blood reaching the head and face. The pressure inside the dental pulp chamber rises, putting more pressure on the dental nerve, which intensifies the pain in the affected tooth.
2. During the day, various distractions reduce the perception of tooth pain. At night, when the body rests, attention becomes more focused and the nerves of the body organs become relatively more sensitive, so the pain produced by the teeth is amplified.
3. At night, the body is in a calmer state than during the day. Attention is more concentrated and nerves are more sensitive, making it easier to be affected by the dental nerve, which is why the gums may swell and hurt at night.
4. Toothache is caused by oral inflammation, and the pain is related to the smoothness of blood flow in the mouth. During the day, the body is upright, the teeth are above the heart, and pressure is relatively low. When you lie flat at night, blood flow increases, oral blood flow increases, the dental nerve is compressed, and the pain greatly increases. This is why nighttime pain occurs.
5. Saliva has a certain antibacterial effect. During sleep at night, oral activity decreases and saliva secretion is reduced, so the dilution and clearance of inflammatory secretions from pulpitis also decrease. The concentration of the secretions rises, which stimulates and amplifies the pain, making nighttime toothache more severe than daytime pain.
Relief method 1: Massage the gums with your index finger for 10 minutes, once every morning after waking up. When the pain is acute, massage the acupoints Shousanli (three inches toward the palm from the line connecting the lateral end of the elbow crease and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus when the elbow is bent at a right angle) and Hegu (on the back of the hand, at the midpoint of the radial side of the second metacarpal) every morning and evening, which can effectively relieve periodontal pain.
Relief method 2: If food debris gets stuck between the teeth, rinse with a mouthful of water (at a temperature similar to body temperature). If rinsing does not work for periodontal patients, dental floss can be used carefully without hurting the gums.
Relief method 3: Just like treating a bruise, apply ice to the cheek closest to the painful tooth. Apply for 15 minutes at a time, at least 3 times a day, to reduce periodontal pain.
Relief method 4: Applying aspirin directly to the gums during a periodontal toothache is not a good practice. To achieve a pain-relieving effect, take one aspirin every 4 to 6 hours instead.
The above covers the causes of nighttime toothache and ways to relieve it. Patients suffering from nighttime toothache can try these methods. Massage is a great option that effectively relieves toothache, and it is relatively safe and reliable with no side effects.
