February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. The National Children’s Dental Health Month is a…
Dealing with Toothaches at Home
If your toothache is minor, sometimes an over-the-counter ibuprofen is enough to take the pain away. This will help with any swelling and discomfort you may be feeling. It is best to take it before the pain gets out of hand in order to keep the pain manageable. In addition to ibuprofen, there are several other methods you can use at home to stay comfortable:
• Keep it cool – A cold compress or ice pack on the outside of the area that hurts can also help to decrease the swelling and minimize the pain.
• Wash the area – Sometimes food debris is stuck in an area that causes the pain. In order to determine if this is the problem, wash the area out with warm water. If you are able to swish hard enough, try to get back to the area where the pain is to see if anything becomes dislodged. This may eliminate the pain altogether.
• Rinse with salt water – Warm water mixed with a tablespoon of table salt can also provide comfort to the area that hurts. You can safely do this several times a day, allowing you to find some relief until you are able to be seen.
If you are unable to get comfortable, found a piece of your tooth that cracked off or lost a tooth completely, you might need to be seen on an emergency basis. This is especially important if you lost a tooth altogether. If you still have the tooth and can make it to the dentist right away, you might be able to save your natural tooth. No matter what happens, you should always come in to our office as soon as you are able when a toothache occurs, even if the pain goes away. You never know what the underlying problem may be. Allowing us to perform an examination of the area can help you get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan to get you out of pain and to ensure good future oral health.
Dr. Jordan Cooper is from Jacksonville, AR. His father is Dr. James Cooper, a Jonesboro, AR native and practicing dentist of 39 years and his mother, Tracy Cooper, is a dental hygienist from Little Rock. Dr. Cooper graduated high school from Central Arkansas Christian, after which he entered at the University of Arkansas as a Chancellor’s Scholar in 1998.
Dr. David Cole is a graduate from the University of Arkansas, receiving his degree in 2016, and is a huge Razorback fan! He then went to dental school at the University of Tennessee where he received his D.D.S. in 2021. He looks forward to getting to know the Central Arkansas area, and serving his community!
Dr. Rasmussen is a Hot Springs native who graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2017 (Go Bears). After receiving his D.D.S from The University of Tennessee in 2021, he is looking forward to serving the central Arkansas community and the wonderful people who live here.
Dr. James Cooper was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He studied at the University of New Mexico and graduated from dental school from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. After 2 years of dental experience with the Army, Dr. Cooper moved to Jacksonville in 1973 to practice dentistry.