Commonly prescribed opioid medications for relief of dental pain include hydrocodone, oxycodone, and acetaminophen with codeine. (Visit the Drugs, Herbs, and Supplements database from NIH's MedlinePlus for generic and brand names of medications.)
“Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin or naproxen work well with dental pain because they reduce inflammation,” says Huang. Recent data has shown the combination of Advil (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen) is as effective as prescription opioids for tooth pain.
Results: Tramadol's maximum analgesic efficacy for relieving acute pain after oral surgery appears to be similar to that of 60 milligrams of codeine alone but less than that of a full therapeutic dose of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or a codeine combination, such as aspirin/codeine or acetaminophen/codeine.
In general, non-NSAIDs and even opioids aren't very effective for toothache pain. If over-the-counter painkillers are not working for your toothache, call your dentist right away. You may need another medication, such as an antibiotic, in preparation for having the tooth pain fixed.
Both tramadol and codeine are prescription painkillers, and they seem to be equally effective in terms of pain relief. There is no evidence that tramadol is any stronger than codeine at relieving pain. Codeine is an opiate medicine and tramadol is a synthetic (man-made) opioid.
The most powerful pain relievers are opioids. They are very effective, but they can sometimes have serious side effects. There is also a risk of addiction. Because of the risks, you must use them only under a doctor's supervision.
A recent survey showed that 16–27% of dentists would preferentially use an opioid or paracetamol instead of NSAIDs for pain relief. Codeine has limited efficacy for dental pain.
The dosage varies but usually is 8-500mg which is 8 mg codeine and 500 mg paracetamol. Please be aware it should not be used in combination with paracetamol as there is risk of over dosing.
Ice or Cold Compress
Probably the most obvious and easiest to do method of pain relief, using ice or a cold compress on the inside or outside of the side of your mouth that has the hurting tooth.
Not only does salt help to reduce bacteria, but rinsing with warm salt water can also remove debris from your mouth, break up pus around the tooth, and help ensure proper wound healing. To create a saltwater rinse for a tooth infection, simply mix a half teaspoon of salt with a half cup of warm water.
Unbearable tooth pain is often a sign indicating you might have tooth damage. For example, you can develop tooth pain from cavities. Unfortunately, if the toothache is unbearable and throbbing, you might have an infection in the tooth and the surrounding gums.
Extreme or debilitating pain can be caused by a number of different problems, from trauma to the tooth because of an accident to a tooth shattering and exposing the pulp layer and nerves. If you also experience painful pressure or notice facial swelling, chances are high that you have also developed an abscess.
Paracetamol is a good painkiller but is less effective at reducing swelling, and therefore will provide less pain relief if you have a toothache. It can, however, be effectively used in conjunction with either Ibuprofen or Aspirin.
Studies have demonstrated that codeine is less clinically effective than other drugs for managing acute dental pain — in particular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or acetaminophen9,10 In addition, codeine can produce a variety of adverse reactions, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, ...
In adults, excellent pain relief from severe pain can be achieved by taking paracetamol and codeine together, and ibuprofen alternately every 2 hours (so each individual drug is only taken at 4 hour intervals). The paracetamol and codeine can usually be stopped after 24-48 hours. Use Paracetamol 500mg tablets.
Indeed, most packets of Nurofen and ibuprofen tablets contain the exact same dose of the same active chemical, so are virtually the same product but at a hefty price difference. Both products are effective anti-inflammatory agents, offer relief for mild to moderate pain and are antipyretic (fever reducing).