If you have never had a toothache consider yourself lucky and pray that you never do.
It is one of the most severe types of pain imaginable.
I did  not realise how bad it was, until I had a toothache a couple of years ago.
I made my way to my local hospital, with the hope that I could have it resolved quickly.
I was surprised when I was booked for a dental procedure in two months.
It eventually took six months and three Dental visits  to get it resolved completely.
So for several months I only survived by eating food from one side of my mouth and packing my tooth with crushed pain killers.
I could also only sleep at night if I chewed on a cotton pad soaked in local anaesthetic. My Dad had a full complement of teeth when he passed on many years, ago. I on the other hand, have already had two of my back teeth extracted.
When we took, our son to the Dentist a couple of years ago, the Dentist simply raised his hand in the air in despair and surrendered.
He said the boy would need a series of dental procedures.
Many people wander how people cleaned their teeth in Africa before the tooth brush came.
In addition what would they have used before tooth paste was brought to Africa?
Inspite of this one of my expat Dentist friends, surprised me by saying the Dental health in Africa is generally so much better than it is in Europe.
I was puzzled because in Zambia in particular,  though there is a critical shortage of Medical Doctors, the shortage of Dentists is even worse. In fact, the government has been training Doctors since 1966 and now produces close to  100 doctors per year.
There has been no Dental training programmes at degree level until the opening of the Copperbelt University school of Medicine  in September 2011.
In thinking about this, I recalled that in the 1980s, when the economy of the country dipped,  items like toothpaste and the tooth brush became a luxury.
Many resorted to an age old African practice of brushing teeth with a small branch of a tree “umuswaki” and using a  solution  of salt as a tooth paste.
I have realised, that better African Dental health was also probably attributable to the healthy vegetable diet and good chewing practices.
However it is evident now that Dental health is declining in Zambia, especially with the increase in fast foods, and the rapid change in the African style diet. In fact one of the leading health problems in Zambia is Dental caries or  Tooth Decay.
1.What causes toothache?
2. What can I do when I have a toothache?
3. How can I prevent toothache?
1. What causes toothache?
Many people will have experienced a toothache before and will not need an explanation of what it is.
However some may not have. So we should probably start by asking the question, what is a toothache.
Simply put, toothache, is pain arising from a tooth or its surrounding tissues.
Initially this pain may occur in certain situations, such as  eating cold  or  spicy food, or hard bony meat.
Eventually the pain may become continuous as the nerve of the tooth becomes exposed by damage to the inner parts of the tooth.
There are many causes of toothache, such as gum disease, dental caries(a hole in the tooth), broken teeth or infection of teeth.
Dental Caries are by far most common cause of toothache.
This happens , when with poor care of teeth  plaque(an accumulation of food materials on the tooth) develops.
This plaque  is broken down  by germs in the mouth into acids that  destroy the bony casing of the tooth called the enamel.
This leads to a cavity which gradually erodes the tooth until it reaches the nerves and causes severe pain.
What causes Dental Caries?
Most often this will occur because of poor dental hygiene.
Lack of regular cleaning of teeth and bad diet.
When teeth are not cleaned properly, small food particles get stuck between the teeth and on teeth surfaces.
The teeth at the back of the mouth called the molars are most at risk because of their location.
When this food is broken down by the germs in the mouth it is converted into acids that gradually destroy the tooth. Diets which contain a lot of  starchy sugary foods are bad for teeth.
These are most easily converted to acids in the mouth.
Gum disease occurs due to poor brushing methods as well as food particles embedded in the gum.
This may lead to swelling of the gums bleeding and looseness of teeth.
How common are Dental problems  in Zambia?
In a school survey done in Zambia in 2011.
It was reported that 10per cent of 2,257 people reported poor oral hygiene. The study also showed a strong  link between poor oral hygiene and alcohol ingestion.
2. What can I do when I have a toothache?
When you have toothache it is best to see a Dentist as soon as you can. Especially if it lasts more than two days or is associated with body hotness. There are things you can do to help relieve the pain at home, but you will still need to see a Dentist as soon as you can.
Some things you can do include the following;
1.Pain killers
2.Cold compression
3.Bed rest
4.Dental gel
5.Diet Change
6.Antibiotics
7.Dental visit
When you have a toothache get some moderately strong pain killers, such as brufen or indocid.
These will sooth your pain, drugs like Panadol are unlikely to give sufficient pain relief.
You can also apply cold compress to the lower face and jaw area, which will reduce the swelling and pain.
Get some rest, lots of talking moving about and eating will tend to worsen your toothache.
Take a day off work and stay at home, you will find the toothache relieves somewhat more than when you keep with your daily routine.
Some dental gels can be bought from the local pharmacy and will numb the pain of your tooth.
Avoid eating on the side of the pain, and try to eat soft and liquid foods.
A  course of antibiotics is likely to reduce the infection if any and is likely to be prescribed by your dentist before further dental treatment.
Some people use oils like clover leaf oil to soothe the pain. You need to visit your Dentist as soon as you can to have a Dental check up and determine the cause of your toothache.
Many people are reluctant to visit the dentist or simply scared.
If you do not visit your Dentist early the problem will get worse and the treatment will become more difficult.
If  the tooth is not severely damaged the Dentist will attempt to restore it, with a Dental filling.
This is like mending a punctured tyre. Many people are afraid to visit the dentist because they fear the process of a tooth removal or dental extraction.
The Dentist  will not always remove your tooth for toothache.
He could also just remove the nerve causing the pain (Root Canal Treatment) and restore the covering of the tooth.
The more you delay your visit to the dentist the more destructive procedure will be required. Remember your Dentist will always prefer to save your tooth.
3. What can I do to prevent toothache?
There are a couple of things that one can do  to prevent toothache.
The most important is to have good Dental hygiene.
This will not only keep you from having a toothache, but it has other additional benefits.
These include looking  more handsome or beautiful.
It is not often realised that if your teeth are stained, crooked, chipped or have gaps, it subtracts significantly  from your good looks. In addition, if you do not take good care of your teeth, they will not take good care of you as you get older.
They begin to become loose and fall out. Some Dental hygiene  ideas are the following;
1.Healthy diet
2.Good oral health
3.chewing habits
4. do not misuse your teeth
5.flossing
6.mouth wash
7.Dental visits
You will have healthy teeth if you avoid fizzy drinks, cakes, pastries, sweets and chocolate.
These present a heavy burden on the teeth.
They cause teeth decay and also can stain your teeth. Brush your teeth regularly at least three times a day.
Use a good tooth brush and do not neglect the back teeth. Brush your teeth always before going to bed.
This is often the time that germs will act on the loose pieces of food between your teeth and gradually erode your teeth.
Remember you will not be able to replace your teeth once they are lost.
Good chewing habits produce strong teeth and help clean the teeth.
They keep the ligaments of the gums strong and keep the teeth from getting loose.
You will find as you get older gaps develop between the teeth because of reducing in chewing and weakening of the jaw, this will predispose you to gum and teeth disease.
I have seen people opening bottle caps, with their teeth.
This is a misuse of teeth and can lead to them cracking and pieces of tooth being damaged and chipped off.
Buy yourself a bottle top opener and keep it on your key holder.
Remember you will need your teeth as you get older.
Chewing tobacco and smoking will stain your teeth and put you at risk for many cancers, including cancer of the tongue.
Flossing, is the process of removing pieces of food between your teeth, this becomes more important as you get older.
You can buy the floss string from the chemist it is much safer than a needle thread or  mealie meal sack string.
Use regular mouth wash this will reduce bad breath and reduce the bacterial load in the mouth.
Develop the habit of visiting your dentist for a Dental check up at least once a year.
Remember your dentist wants to help you keep your teeth healthy, he is not just trying to remove your teeth for fun.