At some point or another, you might find yourself dealing with dental pain. This can be caused by all sorts of problems, such as an impacted or infected tooth, an injury that affects your teeth and more. It can be hard to know what to do when you have dental pain, but you should also know what not to do when you're in this situation. In addition to seeking proper dental services, a few things that you should not do when you're dealing with dental pain are listed here.

1. Tamper With the Tooth

You might be tempted to tamper with the tooth that is hurting you in hopes that you can do something about the pain. However, you might make the situation worse. Handling an infected tooth could cause the infection to get worse, for example. If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, handling it too roughly could cause the tooth to become even more damaged. Therefore, it is generally best to avoid picking at or otherwise messing with the tooth or the impacted area. If you do end up handling the tooth, make sure that you do so very gently after washing your hands thoroughly

2. Take Too Much Pain Medication

When you're suffering from dental pain, it can be tempting to take extra pain medication so that you can get some relief. However, taking too much pain medication can put you at serious risk. Taking the appropriate dose of over-the-counter pain medication might help with your pain, as long as you are not allergic to it, but make sure that you don't overdo it. Applying ice or gargling salt water might also help with your pain.

3. Put Off Seeing a Dentist

As soon as you start experiencing dental pain, you should call your dentist's office and schedule an appointment. If the pain is minor, you may be able to wait a few days or weeks until your appointment. If the pain is severe, though, you should let someone from your dental office know that you need to schedule an emergency appointment. Seeing a dentist is the best way to get relief and restore your dental health as well as possible.

Experiencing dental issues can be very painful. When you're dealing with a toothache or other dental-related pain, it's important to avoid making the common mistakes above. You can also call your dentist's office if you need advice about what you should and should not do while dealing with dental issues.