5 Fast, Natural Home Remedies for Toothache Relief—No Meds Needed
Plus find out why should you skip remedies like clove oil and vanilla extract
When you’re facing tooth pain, your best bet is to call your dentist to describe the ache and schedule an appointment as soon as possible. But with uncomfortable mouth pain, relief often can’t come soon enough. While you wait, these home remedies for a toothache can ease discomfort in a hurry—no meds required.
What causes a toothache?
When a tooth hurts, your mouth is trying to tell you something. Your teeth have “one network response to pressure, temperature and infection”—and that’s pain, explains Ellie Phillips, DDS, author of Mouth Care Comes Clean and Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye: A Do-It-Yourself Mouth Care System For Healthy, Clean Gums And Teeth.
Some reasons for tooth pain may include:
Woman's World Answers
Too much bad bacteria
When the bad bacteria in your mouth start to outweigh the good, this can cause an unhealthy biofilm that leaves teeth porous and prone to problems. This can be caused by excess acidity, snacking and sipping habits, baking soda and/or peroxide, whitening products or trauma. One way to combat this is by brushing after eating with a toothpaste that contains tea tree oil. The oil works better than the prescription antiseptic chlorhexidine (CHX), according to a study in Evidence-Based Dentistry — and without side effects linked to CHX. “Chlorhexidine may kill bacteria, but it also kills healthy cells,” explains holistic dentist Michelle Jorgensen, DDS, author of the book Healthy Mouth, Healthy You.
Gum recession
When your gums start to pull away from your teeth, it leaves parts of the tooth exposed and prone to sensitivity. A good way to protect your gums is by brushing with your non-dominant hand. Brushing too hard is a top cause of gum recession, says Joyce Kahng, DDS, a cosmetic and restorative dentist and owner of Orange + Magnolia Dental Studio in Costa Mesa, CA. But simply using your opposite hand automatically helps you brush more gently.
Dental decay
This results in exposed dentin, which puts you at risk for a bacterial infection—an important reminder to brush and floss consistently and schedule regular dentist appointments. Also smart: Making sure you floss first, then brush. This dislodges debris between teeth so brushing can sweep it away, say scientists reporting in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. That’s why they found flossing prior to brushing removed 55% more plaque than flossing afterward did.
Irritated gums
In some cases, your toothache could actually be caused by gum irritation, bleeding, an ulceration or infection that causes swelling. This is most commonly caused by excess plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth, which you can reduce by “pre-brushing”. Spending two minutes brushing your teeth with a dry toothbrush (before brushing as usual) cuts tartar by 63%, according to a six-month study. Unlubricated bristles are better able to whisk away sticky bacteria lurking along the gum line.
Sometimes it’s not a toothache
Everything from sinus pressure or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain to a sore throat or a mouth ulcer can be mistaken for a toothache. This is why it’s important to get it checked out!
5 home remedies for a toothache
While it’s always best to visit your dentist to get to the root (pun intended) cause of your tooth pain, you still want to find some relief while you wait for your appointment. So when a toothache strikes, these home remedies can help.
1. Swish with saline
Dr. Phillips recommends a saltwater rinse for reducing swelling and inflammation. The salt reduces painful pressure in the gum tissues, plus helps remove bacteria from the area. Simply mix about a teaspoon of salt (½ tsp. to 1 Tbs.) into a mug of warm water. Swish the mixture gently around the affected tooth until the water cools. Repeat as needed.
2. Apply a cold compress
Applying a cool compress on the side of your face near your toothache can reduce inflammation and swelling by gently constricting blood vessels, according to research in the International Journal of Dentistry.
You can grab a bag of frozen vegetables (a bag of frozen peas is most malleable), an ice pack or wrap a few ice cubes in a soft towel. Apply the compress to the affected area of your face for a few minutes at a time to relieve pain and swelling.
3. Use a peppermint tea bag
The menthol in peppermint tea acts as an analgesic and has antibacterial properties for natural toothache relief, Dr. Phillips says.
Brew a mug of peppermint tea, then apply the cooled peppermint bag to the area where you’re experiencing a toothache for a few minutes at a time. You can chill the tea bag in the fridge for 15 minutes for an added cooling boost if desired.
Take caution: If you accidentally touch the chilled tea bag to a nearby tooth with exposed dentin, it could cause discomfort, Dr. Phillips warns.
4. Consider ‘oil pulling’
It may sound strange, but swishing oil around in your mouth (a practice called oil pulling) is believed to have antimicrobial benefits that can help calm inflammatory pain. Dr. Phillips says if you’re going to this home remedy for a toothache, use sesame oil since it has more vitamins than other oils like vegetable oil.
One study in the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice suggests that 10 minutes of oil pulling noticeably reduces the bacteria in your mouth. Just pour 2 Tbs. of oil into a cup and swish the oil around your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes. Spit the foamy mixture into a cup and discard. (Avoid spitting it in your sink, as it could clog your drain.)
5. Apply a painkilling paste
A paste made from baking soda and hydrogen peroxide applied to the gums can help reduce tooth pain from gum disease. Research suggests that the combo helps control harmful dental biofilm and tamp down bad bacteria in the gums that can contribute to pain. Note: Dr. Phillips says this is an aggressive home remedy and should be thought of as a short, temporary fix. Doing it day and day out may lead to recessed gums, she cautions.
For pain relief, combine 1 Tbs. of baking soda with 2 Tbs. of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide in a bowl to make a paste. Brush the mixture into your gums and teeth. Leave on for one minute before spitting the paste out.
Home remedies for a toothache: What to skip
Clove oil is a natural remedy that has been used for centuries for toothache but Dr. Phillips doesn’t recommend applying it to the tooth. She says long-term use of clove oil can actually harm teeth.
Applying vanilla extract is another remedy Dr. Phillips doesn’t recommend. It’s thought that the alcohol in vanilla can provide some temporary relief from tooth pain by numbing the area but Dr. Phillips says it’s not very effective and you’re better off using one of the home remedies above.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
