Almost everyone will have a toothache at least once in their life. While many will need to be addressed by an emergency dental appointment, there are some things that can be done at home to ease the pain and discomfort while awaiting your appointment. These include things that are easy to find in most homes, and should work fairly quickly, such as over the counter pain medication, ice, mint, and even tea bags.
When toothache arises a very common go to is an ice pack, or even a bag of frozen vegetables that will form around the jaw and create a comfortable fit. The cold will help to reduce swelling and decrease the pain in the area immediately around the toothache. This can be done alone or in conjunction with an over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol or Advil. A regular pain reliever will help to lower or remove the pain until it wears off, usually 6-8 hours depending on the type of pain reliever chosen.
A rinse of warm saltwater is often recommended for many toothache causes, it can help to remove any debris from the area, while the warm water is soothing and salt helps to fight infection, bacteria, and reduce pain. To create a saltwater rinse add a teaspoon or two into a glass of warm water, use this to rinse the entire mouth and swish around the teeth for 30 seconds to a minute. This can be done a few times a day.
Mint is a well known toothache reliever, and can be used in a few ways. Some recommend chewing a mint leaf to relieve tooth pain, while others will recommend brewing a cup of mint or peppermint tea, allow it to cool slightly, and drink it while swishing it around the mouth. Tea bags are used to reduce infection and bleeding when teeth are removed, so a mint tea bag could be used in the event of toothache.
Garlic has the ability to form Allicin when it is crushed or chopped, and that chemical compound can offer some relief from toothache when applied to a cavity or injury in the tooth. It is not recommended to place the garlic on the gums around the tooth as it can cause irritation to the sensitive gums. Oil of cloves, or crushed cloves in a vegetable oil, may also offer some relief from dental pain through it’s pain relieving ability and it’s antimicrobial property may help to stave off infection.
Ambesol is an over the counter dental care product that can be applied to the gums around the tooth to dull or numb the pain temporarily. When Ambesol is unavailable Sensodyne toothpaste can be applied to the tooth for short term relief.
A toothache is most often a sign of a tooth problem that will require attention from a dentist, but when one occurs in the middle of the night it can be hard to be seen quickly, so these home remedies can help to get through the waiting time until a dentist can be seen and the problem addressed.