It’s the end of the day, and you finally get to treat yourself to your nightly self-care routines. After brushing, flossing, and flicking off the lights, you stretch out in bed, wiggling into your favorite sleeping position. Instead of drifting off to dreamland, though, you end up tossing and turning! Your tooth hurts more than it did during the day, and you find this very perplexing.
To discover why your toothache might be giving you the bedtime blues, keep reading.
Dental Pain – Out of Sight but On Your Mind
If you have a busy day life, household chores, grocery shopping, work, and other activities could be keeping your mind occupied. When you try to catch some z’s, though, there’s no stimulation to distract you from your toothache. In the quiet darkness of night, there’s more opportunity to dwell on your aches.
Your Circulation is Not Defying Gravity
It’s a good thing that your heart is always working to circulate blood through your system, but did you know that the flow is different between standing up and lying down? As you lean back and rest against your pillow, blood can move to your head much more easily. This helps calm you down for sleep, but it can also exert excess pressure on your tender tooth!
Late Night Munchies
Midnight cravings aren’t exactly uncommon, but it’s not always a good idea to indulge if you have a toothache. Crunchy snacks can aggravate weakened pearly whites, while sugary delights can irritate any existing cavities you might have. If you regularly squeeze in a snack just before bedtime, make sure to pay close attention to what you choose, as well as potential red flags for early-stage dental disasters.
How to Treat Your Bedtime Toothache
For immediate nightly toothache relief, you can take an appropriate dose of pain killers, apply a cold compress, or lift your head with extra pillows. Ultimately, though, it’s best to call your emergency dentist. Dental pain can indicate that you have a serious oral condition, such as cavities or gum disease – or it could simply mean that it’s allergy season!
Either way, your dentist will attentively listen to your symptoms and help you make next-step arrangements if necessary. The best time to treat a toothache is as soon as possible, so don’t hesitate to call your dentist for help with bedtime dental blues!
About the Practice
At Diamond Bright Dental, we’re proud to have a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a skilled general dentist, and an experienced endodontist on staff. Each of their unique specialties allows us to treat a variety of dental emergencies all under one roof for your comfort and convenience. If a bedtime toothache is disturbing your nightly routine, contact our office at 818-233-0909 to request a same-day emergency appointment.