I get it—saltwater rinses and over-the-counter stuff can only do so much. Did you notice if the pain was constant or more like a throbbing that came and went? Sometimes that can point to infection, which saltwater just won’t fix. I always wonder how people manage to tough it out for so long... The cost is rough, but honestly, ongoing pain can end up costing more in lost sleep and stress. Did you have any swelling or was it just the pain that got unbearable?
I always wonder how people manage to tough it out for so long... The cost is rough, but honestly, ongoing pain can end up costing more in lost sleep and stress.
That’s exactly where I’m at. I keep weighing the cost against just how much the pain messes with my day (and night). For me, it started as this dull ache, but then it’d suddenly spike—like a pulsing throb that would last a couple hours and then fade. I did notice some swelling along my jaw, but not crazy obvious unless I poked at it (which I probably shouldn’t have done, but you know how it is when you’re trying to figure out what’s going on).
I’ve tried saltwater rinses and ibuprofen, but they only took the edge off. Did anyone else get that weird taste in their mouth? Like maybe there’s something going on under the gum? I keep reading about “dry socket” and infections and now I’m just second-guessing if waiting it out is smart. How do you decide when it’s time to just bite the bullet and see the dentist versus hoping it’ll calm down on its own?
I get wanting to wait it out, especially with how expensive dental visits can get, but honestly, that weird taste you mentioned was a big red flag for me. When I ignored it, things got worse fast—ended up with a nasty infection and a lot more hassle. Sometimes the “wait and see” approach just drags it out and costs more in the end. If the pain keeps flaring up and you’re noticing swelling or odd tastes, I’d lean toward getting it checked sooner rather than later.
Yeah, that weird taste is always sketchy. I tried to tough it out once, thinking it was just food stuck back there or whatever, but nope—next thing I know, my jaw’s all puffy and I’m googling “can you die from tooth infection” at 2am. Not my proudest moment.
I get the hesitation with the cost though. Dental bills hit different, especially if you don’t have insurance. I messed around with saltwater rinses and ice packs, which helped dull things for a bit, but nothing really fixed it until I caved and saw a dentist. Out of curiosity—has anyone tried those numbing gels they sell at the pharmacy? Wondering if they actually do much or if it’s just temporary relief.
Also, is it just me or does tech for dental stuff seem stuck in the stone age? Like, we have smart watches but still have to deal with medieval tooth pain...
Tried the numbing gels a couple times when my wisdom teeth were acting up. They helped for maybe an hour, tops, but honestly the relief was pretty weak—felt more like a distraction than anything else. I kept hoping it would get better on its own but ended up with more swelling and had to see the dentist anyway. I totally agree, dental tech feels ancient...like, why isn’t there a real fix for pain at home yet?
