Keeping your teeth young
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Keeping your teeth young

As we get older suddenly we realised many things we didn't appreciate about being young - being fit, having smooth skin and having all your own teeth. As our loose teeth (and bridges) struggle to deal with chewier food we start eating bland mush and, there is no easy way to say this, OLD PEOPLE FOOD. I'm determined not to let that happen to me and I'm doing everything I can to keep my own teeth as long as possible, and when that's not possible to get the best possible teeth replacement. If you are like me and want to keep on eating whatever you want, I think you'll like my site. It's all about dental health and teeth replacement & maintenance.

Keeping your teeth young

Recovering Addict? Non-Narcotic Pain Relief Methods to Ask Your Dentist About

Mabel Hicks

When recovering from an addiction, it's important to remain vigilant, even when it comes to prescribed medication. Opiate pain relief is often given by dentists following procedures like wisdom tooth extraction. While this medication is useful in treating pain, it also comes with the risk of triggering a relapse in recovering addicts. Talking to your dentist about your history beforehand will allow them to recommend non-narcotic pain solutions that won't threaten your sobriety. Read on for details of a few methods that will stop your pain without putting you at risk.

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Pain following a dental procedure is often caused by inflammation, so anti-inflammatory drugs will help. Your dentist may recommend taking ibuprofen regularly in the days following your procedure. If that isn't effective, you may be prescribed a stronger drug, like Toradol. This shouldn't be used for more than five days, so it is a good short-term solution. Pain following a dental procedure shouldn't usually last for more than a week, so this shouldn't pose a problem. If you continue to experience pain for longer than this, you should go back to your dentist and ask for help—there could be an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a non-narcotic medication that is shown to be effective in relieving dental pain. It is an analgesic medication, so it works differently than ibuprofen, which is mainly anti-inflammatory. This means that the two medications can be taken together to treat severe pain. You should ask your dentist for advice on how often you can take each medication and for how long. Paracetamol has few negative side effects, but long-term use can be harmful to the liver.

Some painkillers use a combination of paracetamol and codeine. As codeine is an opiate, you should ensure that you aren't prescribed this medication. Paracetamol with caffeine is safe to take as an addict, and caffeine is thought to enhance the pain relieving effect of paracetamol. However, you should consult your dentist about how often to take this medication, as too much caffeine can be harmful. You could take paracetamol with caffeine once in the morning, then stick to normal paracetamol the rest of the day.

Aspirin

Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory painkiller that works in a similar way to ibuprofen and has no narcotic effects. This drug is also effective at reducing fever, so it may be recommended during tooth infections. However, aspirin reduces blood clotting and can lead to increased bleeding, so isn't recommended following a dental operation or tooth extraction.


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