Have You Tried These Toothache Remedies?

Written By Kassandra Foreman / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

As toothaches occur any day or time - often outside of regular dentist hours - leaving people to find ways to treat them at home while awaiting an appointment or for their dentist office to open. There are some steps that can be taken at home to ease the discomfort or pain from a toothache though they are not a substitute for seeing your dentist.

Diagnose tooth pain

"The key to [treating] tooth pain at home is trying to diagnose where the pain is coming from,” says Evelyn Taly Huaman, DMD at Taly Dental Specialists. “If you have been grinding at night, then you'll have pain all over, mostly bothering you on your jaw and jaw joint.” She recommends applying either heat or cold to the area around the joint in the jaw.

Baking soda

In instances where there is a sense of feeling hot within the mouth and inflammation or swelling, a warm saltwater rinse or warm saline rinse is recommended. "They are mild rinses, so you cannot be vigorous,” Huaman added. “Allow the salt water to sit in your mouth a little bit and do not spit — slowly release the water in the sink."

She recommends a mix of baking soda and warm water to rinse the mouth for 20 seconds. Baking soda has antibacterial properties that could relieve pain resulting from the accumulation of germs. Alternatively swishing with whiskey can work as an anesthetic and can then be spit back out into the sink.

Tea bag

Where a small injury has occurred to the mouth and bleeding is present, biting on a tea bag may stop the bleeding. Dr. Huaman suggests biting a cool tea bag for 20 to 30 minutes without stopping and says you can repeat this twice more. If after the three attempts the bleeding continues then an emergency room or urgent care center is needed.

Some dentists suggest if there is swelling in the gums a peppermint tea bag is the best choice for short-term treatment as the mint will soothe the gums.

Guava leaves

Chewing guava leaves may help to lower the amounts of germs that are within the mouth with its antimicrobial abilities and can help to ease inflammation. Research has shown that a mouthwash created from guava leaves will help reduce mouth pain and can be made with crushed leaves and boiling water at home.

Garlic

Garlic may be used to ease toothache as it will provide a numbing effect by chopping a clove and placing it against the area of pain. "Garlic is a popular remedy for toothaches, especially when the pain is due to the presence of cavities," says Joseph Salim, DMD.

Other suggestions include chewing raw onion to ease pain from inflammation. Ginger is recommended in a paste to due to its anti-inflammatory abilities and antiseptic properties.

Traditional over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to ease a toothache, such as Tylenol with ibuprofen, or a drop of clove or thyme oil on a cotton ball applied directly to the area to slow germ growth. An enzyme support can also help to lower pain with the same effect of ibuprofen.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Kassandra Foreman has been writing freelance for five years now and enjoys learning about new things to write about. When not writing she teaches yoga and meditation with a focus on health and fitness.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels