Why You Should Never Put Aspirin Against Your Gums!
Posted on 3/8/2021 by Mark Bieber
Have you ever heard that you should put aspirin directly on your gums or tooth to manage discomfort from a toothache? While aspirin is great for relieving many different kinds of pain, it is actually very harmful to put it against your gums or teeth. At Toomin & Bieber Aesthetic Comprehensive Dentistry, we suggest you never do this. Keep reading to learn why.
Aspirin Can Cause Chemical Burns
Placing aspirin directly on your gums can leave behind a chemical burn. A chemical burn is a white, painful irritation on the soft tissue of your gums caused by the acid contained in aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid. Not only will putting aspirin against your gums not relieve your toothache pain, but you will now have the pain of a chemical burn as well. Chemical burns can hurt for several days before going away.
What to Do For a Toothache Instead of Using Aspirin
If you have a toothache or other discomfort in your teeth, gums, or anywhere in your mouth, you should call our office to schedule an appointment.
Lawrence Toomin, DDS and Mark Bieber, DDS will perform a thorough oral examination to determine the source of your pain and develop a treatment plan from there.
Toothaches can have a variety of causes that range in severity, from something sharp stuck between your teeth to problems with restorative work to a dental abscess, so you should never ignore oral pain. If your discomfort is severe and you have other symptoms such as a fever or difficulty breathing, you should seek emergency medical attention.
To manage more minor discomfort until you can come see us, you can try taking over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or Advil orally (swallowing them rather than putting them against your gums), rinsing your mouth with warm salt water, or applying ice to the painful area. If you are experiencing pain in your tooth or elsewhere in your mouth, call our office at (818) 748-9998 today.
Have you ever heard that you should put aspirin directly on your gums or tooth to manage discomfort from a toothache? While aspirin is great for relieving many different kinds of pain, it is actually very harmful to put it against your gums or teeth. At