Where There Is No Doctor 2011 231
TOOTHACHES AND ABSCESSES
To calm the pain:
♦ Clean the hole in the tooth wall, removing
all food particles. Then rinse the mouth
with warm salt water.
♦ Take a pain medicine like aspirin.
♦ If the tooth infection is severe (swelling,
pus, large tender lymph nodes), use an
antibiotic: tablets of penicillin (p. 351),
amoxicillin, or ampicillin (p. 352). People
allergic to medicines in the penicillin family
can take erythromycin (p. 354).
If the pain and swelling do not go away or
keep coming back, the tooth should probably
be pulled.
Treat abscesses right away—before the
infection spreads to other parts of the body.
A toothache results when a cavity
becomes infected.
An abscess results when the
infection reaches the tip of a root
and forms a pocket of pus.
AN INFECTION OF THE GUMS (PYORRHEA)
Inflamed (red and swollen), painful gums
that bleed easily are caused by:
1. Not cleaning the teeth and gums
well or often enough.
2. Not eating enough nutritious foods
(malnutrition).
Prevention and treatment:
♦ Brush teeth well after each meal, removing food that sticks between the teeth.
Also, if possible, scrape off the dark yellow crust (tartar) that forms where the
teeth meet the gums. It helps to clean under the gums regularly by passing a
strong thin thread (or dental floss) between the teeth. At first this will cause a
lot of bleeding, but soon the gums will be healthier and bleed less.
♦ Eat protective foods rich in vitamins, especially eggs, meat, beans, dark green
vegetables, and fruits like oranges, lemons, and tomatoes (see Chapter 11).
Avoid sweet, sticky, and stringy foods that get stuck between the teeth.
Note: Sometimes medicines for seizures (epilepsy), such as phenytoin (Dilantin),
cause swelling and unhealthy growth of the gums (see p. 389). If this happens,
consult a health worker and consider using a different medicine.