As far as many Nigerians are concerned, acute tooth pain or toothache, as many love to call it, is nothing to worry about. But this may not be so, as Titilayo Anu recently found out.
For many, acute tooth pain or tooth-ache, as many are wont to call it is a mild ailment – something like a tip of the iceberg when categorising dangerous ailments. But unknown to them, it is a whole deal of a cake to munch on and a condition deserving of urgent attention.
According to Journal of Endodontics between 2000 and 2008 in the United States of America, “there were more than 61,000 hospitalisations nationally for periapical abscesses, an infection at the tip of a tooth’s root that is a common symptom of untreated tooth decay. Of those 61,000-plus, 66 patients died.
This may seem far away to Nigerians, especially as many would ordinarily go about their daily routines, in spite of the pain, presuming that it will eventually wear off. But Tope Lawal, a student of dentistry at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, who is presently working on his thesis, disagrees.
Lawal cited three cases from his findings, which he said happened within the space of two weeks. One of them, he said is the case of a 27-yer-old man, who died as a result of taking some harmful concoction, which he bought on a bus. The supposed concoction was supposed to serve as a cure for the pain, but unfortunately led to his death due to its acidic contents. The second case was that of a lady in Mushin, Lagos, who delayed treatment, leading to persistent restlessness during the day and insomnia at night. Ultimately, the lack of rest and sleep led to her demise.
Toothache. Death. How?
The question therefore arises: how can acute tooth pain lead to death?
According to Lawal, the answer is quite simple. There are five stages a decayed tooth has to go through before leading to death. The first stage is the Dental Caries otherwise known as a hole in the tooth as a result of bacteria infection. This stage deals with the demineralisation of the tooth structure. Then, it moves to the Reversible Pulpitis, which is the inflammation of the pulp. At this stage, the patient feels a sharp short pain whenever he eats or drinks hot or cold foods. Then a squeal to Irreversible Pulpitis. At this point, the pain stays longer, it disturbs the patient’s activities, such that he or she is not able to sleep. Restlessness sets in during the day, and insomnia at night. Once insomnia sets in, there is a problem.
Then comes the fourth stage, which is Apical Periodontitis. This is a very crucial stage because the inflammation has spread down to the root of the tooth. At this point, the patient cannot use the tooth to eat, the dentist taps or touches the tooth and the patient squeals from the sharp pain.
Lastly is Ludwig Angina, which happens to be the fifth and deadliest stage of tooth pain. At this stage, the infection has spread to the orofacial spaces, hereby leaving a large swelling around the jaw of the patient. The patient is unable to breathe easily. Also, the tongue will be raised. If not treated within a short period of twenty-four hours, there is every possibility for the patient to lose his life.
Statistics has shown overtime that many people pay less attention to tooth pain because of some factors: poverty, self-medication, traditional remedies among others. The idea of traditional remedies is one that is very crucial. Many Nigerians buy some herbal concoctions to cure tooth pain, not knowing the contents of the drugs. Sometimes, the effects of the concoctions are brutal because they deteriorate the tooth.
In exploring self-medication, sufferers of toothache use salt and water; some even go as far as using battery water. Perhaps, unknown to them, the liquid in batteries, which they call battery water, is acidic and its effect on the tooth can be lethal.
Some, owing to ill advice, get certain strange leaves and apply the juice or secretion, hoping it will cure the pain. While one may not disregard the efficacy of nature outright, the truth is, self medication and unorthodox methods could easily go wrong and may lead to death.
Poverty is another major factor. Many Nigerians complain of hospital bills and would rather explore cheaper though dangerous ways. They would rather buy a drug of a hundred naira than go see a dentist.
Way out
Lawal advises patients to make use of the nearest government health facilities for toothache and other ailments they may consider minor, as you just never know. According to him, government hospitals are free, except if one needs to pay a token for unavailable drugs.
According to a source at a government health facility in Lagos, “Nigerians only come to the clinic whenever the case has gone worse and no remedy can be done.”
The source also recommends immediate check-up at any nearby dental clinic, scaling and polishing of the tooth every six months, avoidance of self-medication, avoidance of excess intake of sugary foods like chocolate, cake, ice-cream; regular brushing of the teeth, morning and at night, using medium texture toothbrush, and using fluoridated toothpaste. This will prevents any form of tooth pain in an individual.
Dentists also advise simple dental filling or extraction for a decayed tooth at its early stage.
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