February 9th is National Toothache Day

February 9, 2021 by Dr. Wheatley in Blog 1 0 0

You heard it here first. TODAY IS NATIONAL TOOTHACHE DAY.

We agree this is a weird one… but Feb. 9 is National Toothache Day, according to the National Day Calendar. This is a day designed to serve as a reminder of the benefits and overall importance of dental hygiene and good oral health. And we can always get behind celebrating that.

Toothaches, scientifically known as odontalgia, are exactly what they sound like: A giant pain in your teeth. Toothaches can come on slowly but surely, or hit you like a lightning bolt overnight. A toothache can make it difficult to eat, sleep, or even talk. While a toothache is really nothing to celebrate, we can agree that it should be stopped as soon as it starts.

Toothaches aren’t always serious, but they are most often a sign that something is wrong.

The origin of this – strange – National Toothache Day is unknown. Some people have suspected it was chosen because Feb. 9 is the day that the Hershey Candy Company was founded back in 1894. Other people have theorized that the day was dedicated to toothaches because Feb. 9 is The Feast of St. Apollonia, the Patron Saint of Dentistry. But nobody knows for sure. The only certain fact is that unfortunately toothaches don’t exclusively occur on Feb. 9, but turn up with the worst timing.

Toothaches are usually a nasty side effect of one or more of the following:

Tooth decay or gum disease
Worn enamel
Abscessed tooth
A cracked tooth or filling
Grinding teeth
Sinus infections
Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders

If you are in pain, please call us at 405-857-6453 if you have a toothache for longer than two days.

We will help guide you through the appropriate treatment steps.
Seek treatment sooner rather than later. It is often a good idea to see a local dentist rather than waiting until you get home.
Treat your mouth with caution. If you’ve injured your teeth or gums, be gentle with them, clean them, and generally try to maintain a safe, sanitary environment to ward off infection.

Your toothache might not be serious now, but it can be a sign of bigger problems. Dr. Wheatley will examine you and find out what is going on, and we will find a way to relieve your pain. In the meantime, here are a few more ideas how to help you with pain relief until you can be seen by a dentist.

As we said, on National Toothache Day we don’t celebrate the pain and suffering caused by nasty toothaches, but you can choose to make a few simple changes so you can celebrate when you get two thumbs up from your dentist at your next checkup.