Toothaches can be extremely painful and it may not always be possible to schedule a dentist appointment right away. Fortunately, there are some home remedies you can try to alleviate the pain of a minor issue or while you’re waiting to see a dentist for a more serious issue.It’s important to be gentle with tooth sensitivity, so here are some gentle methods for tooth pain you can try at home.
- Leave it alone: This may seem obvious, but it may be tempting to keep checking on it. Keeping fingers, toothpicks, and even your tongue away from the sensitive spot will greatly reduce the risk of furthering your pain. You should even try chewing your food on the opposite side of your mouth.
- Rinse: A common cause of toothaches is trapped food. Rinsing vigorously several times a day can help dislodge the cause of the problem. However, if you know the problem is not from trapped food, you should try rinsing with salt water instead. Gently swishing salt water around in your mouth will help prevent a tooth infection as well as dislodge anything that may be trapped.
- Floss gently: Again, if the toothache is being caused by something trapped, flossing can help dislodge the culprit. When flossing in a sensitive area, it’s important to do it gently, but also deliberately.
- Oil of Cloves: Oil of cloves has been used for many years as a remedy for toothaches. Drop a little bit of oil directly onto the affected tooth or drop some on a cotton ball and place it next to the problem tooth. Oil of cloves can significantly calm the inflamed nerves of the pulp of the tooth, reducing pain.
- Ice it: Ice can decrease the inflammation of the gums around the affected tooth, alleviating pain. You can plack a small bag of ice on the tooth or adjacent cheek for 15-minute intervals. Another option would be to actually ice your hand. Some studies have found that holding ice to the V-shaped area between your thumb and forefinger for five to seven minutes can be one of the gentle methods for tooth pain. It’s said to work by sending rubbing impulses along the nerve pathways that the toothache pain would normally take. Since pathways can only carry one signal at a time, the rubbing impulse of the ice massage takes priority over the tooth pain.
Of course, if the pain is being caused by cracked or broken teeth or tooth decay, it’s important to see a dentist as soon as possible. These gentle methods for tooth pain may help alleviate the pain for the time being, but a more serious problem should be looked at by your local dentist.