Toothache
Toothache refers to aching pain in or around a tooth, and is most often is caused by a problems such as dental cavities, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, or gum disease. Generally speaking, all pain is neurological in nature: a warning that something is wrong in your body. In the case of toothache, the “warning” happens to be coming from the nerves in or around your tooth. In a person with healthy teeth and gums, there is usually no tooth pain because healthy teeth and gums provide the proper protection to the nerves. In the case of cavities etc, the protective barrier is weakened and the nerves can become irritated, triggering the unpleasant sensation of toothache.
Acupuncture has been proven through clinical trials to be effective treatment in many neurological pain conditions, and it can be an effective method to manage dental pain as well. However, while the pain management aspects of acupuncture are very good, restoration of any extrinsic causes of the tooth pain (cavities, cracked tooth etc) can only be performed by a dentist.
In some cases, the tooth pain may not be caused by an extrinsic factor, and the cause of this inflammation is not clear. In other words, there can be cases where an inflammation of the nerve can induce severe tooth pain in the absence of any cavities etc. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we believe over consumption of alcohol or spicy food, lack of sleep, even too much sex, can serve as a trigger of this type of toothache, and acupuncture and TCM herbal medicine is an effective way to treat it. In addition, it is a far less invasive procedure.
The ability and effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of tooth pain is quite profound. In most cases patients will report a recognizable amount of relief from just one treatment, and because it works really fast, it often saves patients a lot of money from expensive dental procedures.
It is important to emphasise that only a licensed dentist can provide a proper diagnosis and treatment of your dental condition. Acupuncture is not meant to replace the treatment offered by your dentist. If the toothache is not getting better and lasts longer than 2 days, or if you have other symptoms like fever, or earache and pain upon opening your mouth, you should see your dentist immediately.
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