Anyone who has ever suffered from a toothache can attest to the fact that tooth pain is just miserable. A toothache is a sign that you need dental treatment. But while you wait to see a dentist, you can use home remedies for temporary pain relief.
Saltwater Rinse
Rinse your mouth out with warm salt water twice a day. The water cleanses the teeth of debris, and the salt relieves inflammation and kills bacteria. To make a saltwater rinse, dissolve 1/8 tsp. of table salt in 1 ounce of warm water. Swish the mixture around in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out. Do not swallow it. Follow with a plain warm water rinse, if you wish, to remove the salty taste from your mouth.
Floss
Floss around the aching tooth using dental floss to remove any food that is trapped next to the painful tooth. The act of flossing may cause your tooth pain to increase temporarily, but the removal of food particles might eventually reduce the pain.
Clove Oil
Apply clove oil (eugenol) directly to the tooth that is causing you pain. You can purchase clove oil at a health food store. Clove oil relieves toothache pain and kills germs. A dentist can apply eugenol directly to tooth pulp to reduce pulp inflammation, kill bacteria and to relieve the patient's pain. According to the textbook Clinical Endodontics, clove oil applied directly to tooth pulp relieves pain in 90 percent of patients. While you will not be able to apply clove oil directly to your tooth pulp, you will still receive pain relief effects from the oil.
Raw Onion
Some people receive toothache pain relief by placing a piece of raw onion on the aching tooth. Raw onion has antibacterial properties, which may explain the pain relief results it provides for some people.
Brandy
Soak a piece of cotton in brandy. Apply the brandy-soaked cotton directly to the sore tooth, and the brandy will temporarily numb the pain. Alternatively, you can take a sip of the brandy and hold it in your mouth for 30 seconds without swallowing it. Adults may want to swallow the brandy, but children should spit it out.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Take over-the-counter oral pain medications to temporarily reduce toothache pain. Follow the dosage directions on the pain reliever bottle, but never give an aspirin product to a child who has a fever. You can also apply benzocaine, a topical oral numbing agent sold in the oral hygiene section at drug stores, directly to the aching tooth.
Tags: pain relief, your mouth, aching tooth, directly tooth, tooth pulp, toothache pain