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Writer's pictureDavid Chen, DDS

Can I Use Goodys Powder For a Toothache?

Updated: Dec 30, 2023

Using Goodys powder can effectively kill a tooth nerve temporarily but it depends on how you're using it to do so. If you use it incorrectly, you can cause more harm than good and end up with a problem other than your tooth nerve pain. In other words, a toothache won't be the only issue you may have if you use this pain medication the wrong way.


goodys back and body pain

Table of contents:


Can Goodys powder alleviate tooth pain?

Yes, goodys powder can alleviate your toothache because it contains authentic painkillers, aspirin (NSAID) and acetaminophen. Taking it will temporarily reduce the pain that you're having at least until the medication wears off.


If you were in doubt, just take a look at the label on the box. It explicitly lists "toothache" as one of the purposes for use of this drug.


goodys back and body pain - active ingredients and uses
Toothache is one of its uses

  • Anti-inflammatory. Decreases swelling, redness, and inflammation.

  • Analgesic. Can block pain signals, thus numb your body to pain.

  • Anti-pyretic. Reduces fevers.


  • Analgesic. Can block pain signals, thus numb your body to pain.

  • Anti-pyretic. Reduces fevers.

  • It is NOT an anti-inflammatory.


Goodys powder is actually more potent than taking ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin alone since it combines two of them together. It has acetaminophen and aspirin.


Studies have shown that taking a NSAID with acetaminophen produces greater pain relief than taking them individually. One research study demonstrated this effect for pain after wisdom teeth extraction.


acetaminophen with ibuprofen pain relief chart
Credit: Paul A. Moore, DMD, PhD, MPH; Hersh Elliot V., DMD, MS, PhD

The chart above compared taking ibuprofen (an NSAID) with acetaminophen. Clearly from the results, combing them was much more effective.


You can extrapolate from this data that a different NSAID such as aspirin should also produce a similar result. They're both non-steroidal anti-inflammatories so they will work in the same way.


Mechanism of analgesia

The pain relief you get from taking goodys powder comes from two different analgesic mechanisms, one via aspirin and the other via acetaminophen. Since the two of them block pain in different ways, the pain relief becomes synergistic.


In other words, that it makes it more potent than taking them individually!


How aspirin blocks pain:


Mechanism-of-action-of-aspirin-and-COX-inhibition-Prostaglandins-thromboxane
Credit: Dominick J. Angiolillo, Jayne Prats, Efthymios N. Deliargyris, David J Schneider, James Scheiman, Carey Kimmelstiel, Ph. Gabriel Steg, Mark Alberts, Todd Rosengart, Roxana Mehran, Deepak L. Bhatt

How acetaminophen blocks pain:

  • Inhibits the activity of COX pathway in a different manner than a NSAID.

  • The mechanism of action is still unclear.

  • Affects COX pathways in CNS (central nervous system) but not PSN (peripheral nervous system).


When it starts working

After taking goodys powder, you should experience pain relief as soon as 20-30 minutes. However, the full analgesic effect doesn't activate until about an hour later.


How long it lasts

The pain relief should last for about 6 hours according to the directions on the box. The instructions say to take it every 6 hours while symptoms persist. Essentially, the reason you're taking another dose is because the effects have worn off.


goodys back and body pain - directions and overdose
Take one powder every 6 hours


How to use Goodys powder for toothache

For toothaches, the goodys product that we recommend would be the "Goodys back & body pain" because it is their most potent one. It has the greatest pain allleviation because it contains two painkillers, acetaminophen AND aspirin in the highest concentration.


How to use it:

  1. Place one packet of powder (Goodys) on your tongue.

  2. Drink a full glass of water.

  3. Repeat every 6 hours as needed.

  4. Do not exceed 4 packets within 24 hours.




Their other products typically only contain one pain reliever, aspirin, or they have a lower concentration. Since there is only one, it makes it less effective than this product which contains two.


In our experience, for dental related pain, the less potent painkillers will barely make a dent in how you feel.


Goodys Back & Body:

  • Aspirin 500mg

  • Acetaminophen 325mg


Goodys extra strength headache:

  • Aspirin 520

  • Acetaminophen 260mg

  • Caffeine 32.5mg


How NOT to use Goodys powder

The wrong way to goodys is by placing it on the tooth directly and not drinking any water afterwards. This is an attempt at trying to use the medication topically instead of taking it systemically because you're not swallowing it.


The consequence of placing it on the tooth is the risk of an aspirin burn in the mouth. Remember that aspirin is one of the analgesic agents in all of the Goodys products.

  • What the burn looks like is similar to a mouth burn.

  • You can see tissue sloughing off as if it was injured from coming into contact with acid.


There has been many reports of this occurring with aspirin that has been intentionally or unintentionally left in the mouth.

  • A 55 year old african lady suffering from a toothache decided to place aspirin on the affected tooth but ended up with a painful chemical burn.

  • A 4 year old girl was using chewable aspirin but did not swallow all of it. The leftover aspirin in her mouth resulted in mouth burns.


Therefore due to its potential for self harm, we recommend against placing the powder directly on your tooth and not drinking water. You should swallow all of it with a full glass of water like the manufacturer instruction states.


Our experience using it

Overall, the Goodys powder was fairly easy to use and we'll describe it in a couple of ways. This is based on the experience of our dentists in Long Island City using it.


Ease of use

The packaging that the powder came in was made of paper so it was easy to tear it off. If you were worried that you needed scissors, you can put that worry at ease. The packet poured out very easily onto my tongue without any clumping.

Appearance

Smell

Taste

Texture


Would we use it again?

Sure, why not. We'll use it again if we ever have a toothache or some other type of bodily ailment. It is an effective pain reliever for tooth pain.


In our opinion we think those who do not like taking pills will probably appreciate goodys.

  • The power form makes it very easy to swallow.

  • Despite the slight bitter taste, it's still much more palatable than liquid pain medication.


If either of the two above describe your preferences, perhaps this is the pain relieving product for you.


Disadvantages of Goodys powder

Despite its wonderful analgesic effects, there are 4 disadvantages to using it as a toothache home remedy.

  • Temporarily relieves the toothache.

  • Increased risk of bleeding.

  • Contraindicated with GI bleeding issues.

  • Contains lactose.


goodys back and body pain - drug facts
Drug facts and warnings on label

Temporary pain relief

Taking Goodys powder will temporarily alleviate a mild toothache for approximately 6 hours. After that you will need to take another dose in order to maintain the pain relief.


The reason it doesn't stop the pain permanently is because this medication does nothing to treat the source of your problem. Usually the source stems from tooth decay, infection, or some other type of damage to the tooth. Unless you treat the source, the pain will persist.


Increased risk of bleeding

Aspirin is a blood thinner, which means there will be an increased risk of bleeding if you need surgical procedures. This is important because if you decide to see a dentist after taking it and you need a tooth removed, you will most likely have a difficult time getting the bleeding to stop afterwards. You will most likely bleed more and for a longer period of time.


Depending on your condition, you may need to wait until its blood thinning effect to wear off before you can proceed with the extraction. Therefore if you anticipate the need for a surgical procedure you may want to use a different pain reliever, one without aspirin.


GI bleeding problems

Aspirin inhibits the formation of prostaglandins which regulate pain but another effect is protecting the stomach mucosa from hydrochloric acid. You lose the acid protective effect when you take this medication and that can result in gastric bleeding.


If you have medical conditions which put you at a higher risk for GI bleeding, you may want to use a different medication for pain.


Powder has lactose

One of the inactive ingredients in goody's powder back & body pain, is lactose. For those of you who are lactose intolerant, such as Dr Chen, taking this may cause intestinal issues.

Of course if you're not lactose intolerant then this is not a disadvantage for you.


Permanent treatment requires dentist

The best that at home treatments (including goodys powder) can do for your toothache is temporarily relieve it. That means the pain will come back.


However, if you want to permanently get rid of the toothache you should see a dentist because they can eliminate the source of the pain.


How your dentist treats the source of the pain:

  • Dental fillings - placing a composite filling can repair and restore damaged tooth structure. This will address pain and discomfort coming from broken teeth or cavities.

  • Root canals - this endodontic procedure will manually remove the tooth nerve from the tooth. Once it is gone, the tooth will be permanently nerveless.

  • Extractions - this dental procedure will extract the entire tooth from your mouth. This gets rid of the tooth and the nerve inside of it.


All of these treatments cannot be performed at home and are certainly not DIY.


Takeaway

Yes, goodys powder can kill a tooth nerve but only temporarily because its effects wear off after 6 hours. That is because it can only block the pain signal while the medication is in effect. What it does not do is treat the source of your toothache so the pain will return.


We feel like we do have to make a comment before we end this article... That is in our opinion, BC powder max strength is similar to Goodys but more potent. The reason is because it contains a higher concentration of pain relievers.


The only way to permanently treat the source is by seeking professional help from a dentist. So what are you waiting for? Go give them a call and get the pain relief that you deserve.

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About the author: Dr David Chen, DDS

Hello, I'm Dr Chen and I'm an actively practicing dentist in Long Island City, NY. I graduated from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 2016 but prior to going to dental school I was already working in the dental field. It's been more than a decade since I first got to know dentistry and let me tell you, time flies by quickly. Since then I've developed a fondness for writing, which is how this all got started!

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Medical Disclaimer:

This blog is purely meant for information purposes and should not be used as medical advice. Each situation in your mouth is unique and complex. It is not possible to give advice nor diagnose any oral conditions based on text nor virtual consultations. The best thing to do is to go in person to see your dentist for an examination and consultation so that you can receive the best care possible.

The purpose of all of this oral health information is to encourage you to see your dentist and to inform you of what you may expect during your visit. Due to the unfortunate nature of dentistry, there isn't really any true home remedies that will get rid of dental problems. Roughly 99.99% of them require in-person intervention by a healthcare professional.

Hint: That is the reason why you can't eliminate seeing dentists in your life!

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