Toothache pain is probably the most unpleasant kind of pain that you can experience. It can be extremely painful and a toothache will often make you miserable. The pain can be caused by a number of things including decay, an abscess, or even an impacted wisdom tooth.
Fortunately, there are some natural remedies that can help to relieve your toothache pain. Read on to find out more about home remedies for toothache pain.
What Causes Tooth Pain
The most common cause of toothache pain is a cavity or dental abscess. Other causes of acute toothache pain include:
Tooth decay — A cavity may not cause any symptoms until it reaches the nerve inside the tooth. Then you may feel a sharp pain when you bite down on something hard or cold.
Gingivitis — Inflammation of the gums can cause severe throbbing pain in your mouth. The condition usually affects both sides of your lower jaw, but sometimes only one side is affected.
Periodontal disease — Infection deep in the gum tissue can cause severe throbbing pain in some people who don’t have any symptoms of gum disease (gingivitis).
How Do I Know If I Have a Toothache?
Toothaches are usually described as a sharp or dull pain in or around a single tooth. The pain may spread from the affected area into your cheek, lips, or gums. You might also feel some throbbing in your jawbone when the pain is bad enough.
Some people experience temporary sensitivity after eating hot or cold foods or when they drink something cold like water.
How to Stop Tooth Pain Fast – The Best Home Remedies
Salt Water Rinse
A salt water rinse is one of the most effective ways to relieve pain and swelling from a toothache. The rinse will help to reduce the swelling and bring down the temperature of your gums. It also helps to neutralize acids in your mouth that can cause pain when they come into contact with sensitive teeth.
To make a saltwater rinse, mix 1/4 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of lukewarm water. Gargle with the mixture for a minute before spitting it out.
Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse
Hydrogen peroxide is another good remedy for relieving toothache pain. It helps eliminate germs from your mouth that may be causing an infection or contributing to your pain.
Mix 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup baking soda and swish this solution around in your mouth for about 30 seconds before spitting it out.
You should also rinse thoroughly after using this remedy to ensure all traces of hydrogen peroxide have been removed from your mouth before eating or drinking anything else after using it as a home remedy for toothache pain treatment.
Apply a cold compress
A cold compress is one of the most effective ways to ease toothache pain. It helps to reduce inflammation and swelling in the gum area, which can reduce toothache pain.
Simply take an ice pack or a cold compress, wrap it in a cloth and place it over your cheek near the affected tooth. Keep this on for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, until you feel relief from the pain.
Use peppermint tea bags
The antiseptic properties of peppermint make it an effective remedy for relieving pain associated with swollen gums or sore teeth. Boil a few mint tea bags to create a strong solution and use it as a mouthwash every few hours until your symptoms subside. You may also chew on the leaves for instant relief from the pain.
Use a hot pack
Heat is very good for relieving toothache pain. You can use a hot water bottle or a heating pad to apply heat directly on your cheek and gum area near the affected tooth. If the pain is severe, you can also place a towel soaked in hot water over the painful area.
Take an anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen help reduce swelling and inflammation of the gums, which can help relieve toothache quickly. You should take these medications only if they are recommended by your doctor as they may cause side effects if taken without medical advice.
Try acupressure
Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique that involves applying pressure on specific points in the body using fingers or thumbs to treat various ailments such as headaches, backaches, menstrual cramps, etc. You can try this treatment by pressing firmly on the upper lip for about five seconds with one hand while resting another hand on top of the head with fingers pointing downwards towards the back of the head or neck area.
Garlic
Garlic is an antiseptic herb that can help fight infections and prevent swelling and bleeding. A garlic clove wrapped in gauze and placed against your cheek may help relieve toothaches caused by gum disease or infected gums. You can also chew on the cloves or make a garlic paste with water to relieve toothaches.
Use clove oil
Clove oil has been used for centuries to alleviate toothaches. It has antibacterial properties and can kill bacteria that cause toothaches. To use clove oil for toothache relief, heat some olive oil over low heat and add 10 drops of clove essential oil to it before applying it directly to your gums and teeth using a cotton swab or cloth dipped in the warm solution.
When to Call Your Dentist
You should also see your dentist when experience any of the following symptoms:
- fever
- pain when you bite
- trouble breathing or swallowing
- general pain that lasts more than two days
- swelling
- abnormally red gums
- foul-tasting discharge
