Over the counter drugs are often used in dentistry to treat pain ranging from a number of reasons including discomfort from advanced gum infections and gum disease, discomfort from cracked or broken teeth, pain from abscessed teeth as well as pain from wisdom teeth. Understanding how a particular medication reliefs pain or whether you can take certain drugs is the first step towards ensuring that you choose the right kind of over the counter medication. Some of the best and most effective over the counter medication for tooth pain as recommended by Dr. Andrew & Urban Smiles Family Dental include:
- Acetaminophen
This is a popular over the counter medication for toothaches that is particularly helpful to individuals who can’t take ibuprofen. Like with any medication, it’s important that you have a discussion with your dentist or physician because there are drug interactions and side effects that you should know about before taking Acetaminophen. The drug is available in various forms including oral suspension fluids, liquid gel capsules, and tablets.
- Ibuprofen
This is the most popular type of pain medication for toothaches that’s available over the counter. It is a non-steroid, anti-inflammatory drug that works great for dental pain, especially since inflammations are directly related to pains and aches. Your dentist can prescribe ibuprofen every six to eight hours as an alternative to narcotic pain reliever. Ibuprofen, or any non-steroid, anti-inflammatory drugs, cannot be used by anyone who has asthma. It is available in oral suspension formulations, liquid gel capsules and tablets.
- Ketoprofen
This is another drug classified as a non-steroid, anti-inflammatory medication that can be used to relief toothaches. It is sold both as a generic version and a whole lot of trade names. It has a better effect when it comes to pain relief as compared to ibuprofen, which would explain its higher price tag.
Other over the counter medications that have been known to have a good effect on tooth pain are anesthetic liquids, gels or pastes such as DenTex Stix, Orajel and Anbesol. The problem with these medications is that with these medications, the effect doesn’t last very long. It’s been said that alternating ibuprofen with codeine can help for the hours in between when the ibuprofen has worn off, especially if one is on a maximum dose. For extreme pain where your gums are swollen and there is stuff oozing out around your tooth, the best thing to is to see a dentist for treatment.
Urban Smiles Family Dental Staff Writer: