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Understanding Mouth Pain & Over-the-Counter (OTC) Solutions
Understanding Mouth Pain & Over-the-Counter (OTC) Solutions
A dull, aching tooth or a raw sore on your inner cheek can be extremely painful and make it hard to eat or drink. Luckily, over-the-counter (OTC) options for oral care pain relief can help. So can good oral health habits. Here’s what to know.
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Understanding Mouth Pain & Over-the-Counter (OTC) Solutions
Understanding Mouth Pain & Over-the-Counter (OTC) Solutions
Understanding Mouth Pain & Over-the-Counter (OTC) Solutions
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A dull, aching tooth or a raw sore on your inner cheek can be extremely painful and make it hard to eat or drink. Luckily, over-the-counter (OTC) options for oral care pain relief can help. So can good oral health habits. Here’s what to know.
Identifying Types of Mouth Pain
The first step to oral care pain relief is understanding what might be causing your mouth pain. Several common problems could be the culprit.
Toothaches
Pain in or around your tooth is called a toothache. These pains often happen because of cavities or deeper tooth infections, though a sinus infection, teeth grinding, or broken tooth can also cause pain.
A toothache might cause symptoms like:
- Dull aching pain that doesn’t go away
- Sharp pain
- Throbbing
These can result in sensitivity to hot or cold foods & drinks and swelling .
Gum Pain
Sore gums often result from poor oral care habits, intense flossing or brushing, braces, or gum disease. Gum pain might feel like:
- Puffy or swollen gums
- Tender gums that hurt when you brush, floss, eat, or drink
- Gums that bleed easily
Canker Sores
Canker sores are small, round sores inside your mouth. You might get them after eating spicy or acidic foods, brushing or flossing your teeth too hard, using irritating toothpaste or mouthwash, biting your cheek, or stress.
Canker sores are usually:
- Round or oval in shape
- White or yellow in the center
- Red around the edge
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is a yeast infection in your mouth caused by Candida albicans fungus. This fungus naturally exists in your mouth, but it can overgrow after you take certain medications, such as asthma inhalers, or if you have certain conditions, such as HIV.
Oral thrush causes:
- Creamy white sores
- Sores on your tongue, inner cheeks, and roof of your mouth
- Burning, redness, and pain inside your mouth
- Cracks in the corners of your mouth
OTC oral care pain relief products can ease discomfort while your mouth heals. Some forms of mouth pain, such as toothaches, may need medical treatment. In these cases, OTC pain relief products are only a temporary fix.
However, canker sores, and other mouth pains often clear up with self-care. Several OTC treatments can relieve symptoms, from mouthwashes and gels to pain relief medications.
Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse
A hydrogen peroxide rinse or mouthwash helps to speed up healing, keep sores clean, and kill bacteria or other germs causing sores and pain in your mouth. Common rinse products include:
- Colgate Peroxyl
- Oral-B Mouth Sore
Benzocaine or Phenol Gel, Sprays, & Liquids
Benzocaine and phenol are examples of topical analgesics or pain relievers you can use for oral pain relief. Common OTC benzocaine and phenol products for your mouth include:
You can apply these products to help with mouth pain:
- On your gums and around your tooth for toothaches (Benzocaine, not phenol)
- Directly on sores inside your mouth
- In the corners of your mouth to ease cracked skin
Sore throat lozenges are another option and may work well for oral thrush, especially if you have sores all over your mouth and throat. These can help soothe pain and make it easier to eat and drink.
Other OTC Oral Care Pain Relief Medications
OTC pain relief medications and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also ease oral pain when liquids and gels don’t work. Pain relievers, like acetaminophen, can temporarily lessen pain from toothaches and mouth sores, while also lowering a fever.
NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, help relieve pain and lower inflammation, which may be helpful when you have an infection or pain and swelling. Common pain relief medications include:
Be sure to follow the Drug Facts label to know how many tablets to take and how often.
When to Talk to a Healthcare Professional
Most mouth sores go away with self-care and don’t need medical treatment. However, make sure you see a healthcare provider for pain or sores that last or worsen to rule out any problems.
As a general rule, see a healthcare provider for:
- Toothaches
- Large or severe mouth sores
- Sores and pain that don’t respond to OTC treatments
- Sores that come back often or last longer than two weeks
- Severe pain
- High fever with a toothache
- Extreme problems eating or drinking
- Trouble swallowing or breathing
Preventing Mouth Pain
You can prevent many sores and mouth problems with good oral health practices. Brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. Floss at least once daily and rinse your mouth with a mouthwash. There are several different types of mouthwashes which contain active ingredients intended to reduce or prevent gingivitis, plaque or tooth decay. These practices help control bacteria, remove food debris and plaque buildup, and prevent infections, cavities, and pain.
Self-Care Takeaways
- Canker sores happen inside your mouth and usually have a white or yellow center with a defined red edge.
- Toothaches and gum pain commonly happen from cavities, infections, or poor oral health habits.
- Hydrogen peroxide rinses keep sores clean and kill germs causing sores.
- Benzocaine or lidocaine products ease pain in your mouth.
- Acetaminophen and ibuprofen relieve pain and fevers, while ibuprofen also lowers swelling and inflammation.
- See a healthcare provider if you have severe pain, large sores, high fever, or sores that last longer than two weeks.
