Natural Remedies to Get Rid of a Toothache
By Rex Hoang | Published on June 16, 2010 | 1 Comment
Everyone has suffered tooth pain at some point or another, but the time in between when the ache sets in and when the dentist has an available appointment slot at his practice can be excruciating. So what should a person do in the meantime? Dr. Rex Hoang, whose dentist office is in Washington, DC, says that there are a number of at-home remedies that people can try to reduce some of the pain they are feeling. These treatment options offer only temporary relief, though, which is why he recommends coming to an office like his own, DC Dental Spa, as quickly as possible to find a permanent solution to your toothache issue.
“These natural remedy ideas are meant to just give temporary relief from toothache pain so that you can go for one day or one night before seeing a dentist,” he explains. “But if the toothache pain is severe enough, then there is no at-home remedy in the world that can truly solve the problem entirely.”
In order to determine which at-home treatment is going to work the best, Hoang says the patient has to first figure out where the pain is coming from. Pain in the mouth might be coming from the tooth itself, from a wisdom tooth growing in, or from a gum infection, which Hoang warns are all different types of pain with their own treatment options and remedies
Based on his years of treating patients at his dentist office in Washington, DC, Hoang says these are the natural, at-home pain remedies his patients have used to get relief:
- Cold water. Sipping very cold water can bring temporary relief to acute tooth pain. Of course, tap water probably won’t be cold enough to help. In order to really get rid of toothache pain—albeit, temporarily—a person must drink very cold, icy water for a period of time.
- Garlic and salt. Smashing together a mixture of garlic and salt, and then placing that mashed up mixture on top of the open cavity area, has been shown to help reduce the pain from a toothache in some patients.
- Clove oil and white pepper powder. Mixing together a few drops of clove oil with a little white pepper powder can help to numb up an area, which is why placing it over the area where pain is coming from inside the mouth could provide some temporary relief.
Of course, none of these natural remedies is going to be a permanent fix. Hoang says that these three options are only good for a few hours of relief, and that patients should begin trying to get in to see their dentists as quickly as possible for a professional fix.
Additionally, the above treatment options will not be very effective for a person with gum swelling, because that symptom is actually a sign of gum disease rather than a basic toothache. Here are Dr. Hoang’s best temporary relief ideas for patients with gum swelling or inflammation:
- Hydrogen peroxide rinse. For immediate relief from the pain associated with gum swelling, you can try rinsing your mouth with a hydrogen peroxide rinse. This can be picked up at any store, and it usually works really well.
- Salt water. Another option to help with swollen gums is to take one teaspoon of salt and put it directly into your mouth without any water. This remedy works because the salt helps to kill the infection, temporarily at least, and relieves some of the pain at the same time.
Paying close attention to the pain you are feeling is one of the best ways to determine whether you have a gum infection or a cavity, because the two types of pain actually feel nothing alike. Whereas a toothache pain from a cavity is very acute—typically described as a shooting pain—more dull, aching pains generally characterize gum disease. “When a person has a toothache, he just doesn’t want to go out and do anything because the pain is so severe,” Hoang says.
“I once fell off a motorcycle and fractured a tooth, and I didn’t even realize it at first,” Hoang says. “So any pain in the mouth can be hard to pinpoint at first, even for a dentist.” Over time, however, Hoang says that patients can usually begin to discern whether the pain they are feeling is the result of a gum infection or a cavity. “If the pain is a really sharp, shooting pain like a pinprick, then that is normally coming from a nerve rather than the gums,” he says.
Whatever the cause of the pain, Hoang says that rather than ignore the signs their bodies are giving them, patients should instead see their dentists as quickly as possible for treatment that is permanent.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
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