Few things are quite as painful as an abscessed tooth. And though this condition requires dental intervention, it isn't always possible to get to a dentist as quickly as you'd like. If you would like to learn more about how to help manage the pain in the meantime, read on. This article will detail four strategies to help keep the pain at a minimum until you can receive proper care.

Alter your diet.

In a nutshell, an abscess is an infection that has tunneled all the way to the nerve at the center of your tooth. As you can imagine, this makes it many times easier for irritating substances or sensations to cause you terrible pain. Therefore it is a good idea to avoid consuming foods that are either very cold or very hot. Similarly, you should plan to abstain from sugary substances, as well as from highly acidic, foods and drinks, such as citrus and soda.

Sleep with an elevated head.

Dental pain--especially the pain of an abscessed tooth--always seems to get worse when lying down. That's because a horizontal position increases the amount of blood flowing to your head--blood that will naturally move toward to your injured tooth. Though this is only your body's way of trying to help, it will increase the amount of pressure and pain in your tooth. To minimize this phenomenon, use extra pillows to prop yourself up, thus reducing the amount of blood flowing toward your head.

Continue practicing gentle dental hygiene.

When faced with the pain of an abscessed tooth, many people choose to stop brushing and flossing, in order to avoid accidentally causing extra pain. While this strategy would seem to make sense, it can actually end up causing more pain in the long run. That's because bacteria will begin breaking excess food particles in your mouth into acids, which in turn will exacerbate the pain of your abscess.

Use clove oil to help mitigate pain.

Also known as eugenol, clove oil has potent analgesic properties. In fact, in certain cultures, it has been used to treat pain--and specifically dental pain--for many centuries. Better yet, clove oil is also a powerful antiseptic. Thus it can help to keep your infected tooth at bay until you are able to get to a dentist.

You don't want to apply clove oil directly to your tooth, however; undiluted, it's simply too powerful. Instead, mix a couple of drops of clove oil into half a teaspoon of olive oil. Stir the mixture well, blot it up with a cotton ball, and press it gently against your tooth. Leave it in place as long as necessary for the pain to abate. 

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