24 Jun 2016 Myth #4: You can stop a toothache by putting an aspirin on an inflamed tooth
When people have a toothache, they will often have some form of pain. One of the pieces of advice people may receive to deal with a toothache is by placing an aspirin on or beside the tooth.
The truth is, the aspiring doesn’t work to help with the pain. What happens is the person will usually receive a white, chemical burn from placing the aspirin on their tooth. This chemical burn will usually happen on the gums and cheek. This results in a painful burn the person has to deal with for several days.
The full name of aspirin is actually acetylsalicylic acid. This aspirin tooth pain is common when people go with this advice without realizing the last part of the name for this medicine, acid. Acid burns tissue, and the acid found in aspirin is enough to burn the soft tissues of the mouth.
Can Aspirin Help with a Toothache?
Aspirin can help with the pain a person may experience with a toothache, but not by being placed beside the tooth. Aspirin is able to block the production of a few pain chemicals that can be found in the blood. When someone swallows an aspirin tab, the drug is broken down in the intestines. This allows the aspirin to be absorbed into the bloodstream and is circulated throughout the body.
How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Toothache and a Sensitive Tooth?
Aspirin tooth pain is mainly caused when the aspirin is applied directly to the tooth rather than taken as instructed. One thing people may become confused with is what kind of pain qualifies as a toothache or is just a sensitive tooth. Telling the difference between the two is relatively simple once people know what to look for in their tooth pain.
Sensitive tooth pain is usually throughout the mouth. This can be caused by eating or drinking something that is too hot or cold. Sensitivity for teeth can usually be dealt with by using certain types of toothpaste focused on helping with tooth sensitivity. Toothache pain, on the other hand, is a completely different kind of pain. Toothache pain is usually centralized and focused in one spot. This can cause an aching or throbbing feeling in one tooth or section of the mouth.
Aspirin tooth pain is mainly caused by the acid found in aspirin burning the soft tissues of the mouth. Aspirin can be taken to deal with tooth pain, but if the pain persists in a centralized area of the mouth be sure to have a dentist take a look at it.