Can a pain-relieving injection be administered for toothache?

Aug 24, 2022 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Liwen
Introduction
Dental pain cannot be treated with analgesic injections. Although such injections may temporarily relieve the pain, they do not address the underlying cause. In other words, once the analgesic effect wears off, the toothache will persist; therefore, clinicians do not administer analgesic injections solely to suppress dental pain. Clinically, patients with acute pulpitis often experience severe pain—such as pain triggered by cold or hot stimuli to the tooth.

  Toothache is a recurrent and difficult-to-treat condition. Particularly after the onset of toothache, many individuals experience various systemic discomforts. Consequently, numerous patients suffering from toothache seek rapid pain relief—so, can a pain-relieving injection be administered for toothache?

  Can a pain-relieving injection be administered for toothache?

  No, a pain-relieving injection should not be administered for toothache. Even if such an injection temporarily alleviates pain, it does not address or eliminate the underlying cause. Clinically, patients with acute pulpitis often experience severe pain—including sensitivity to hot or cold stimuli, paroxysmal (intermittent) pain, sharp, stabbing pain, and referred pain radiating to the head—often resulting in sleeplessness. This represents a highly distressing pain syndrome.

  In clinical practice, toothache is not treated with pain-relieving injections; instead, interventions such as pulp chamber opening and drainage, pulpectomy (nerve removal), and root canal therapy are employed. These constitute standard, evidence-based approaches for effective pain relief. If you experience toothache, we strongly advise against receiving pain-relieving injections. Although they may provide transient symptom relief, such injections carry significant systemic side effects and offer only short-term benefit. Patients should promptly visit a dental hospital’s Department of Dentistry or Endodontics for comprehensive diagnosis and definitive treatment of dental tissue pathology—thereby eliminating toothache at its source.

  When pulpitis progresses to purulent changes, timely root canal therapy—removing infected material from the root canal system—can resolve toothache fundamentally. We hope this information proves helpful to you.