4 Easy Ways to Relieve Your Tooth Pain at Home

Dentist Blog

When you have tooth pain, the first thing you need to do is call your dentist. However, they might not be able to see you right away, so you will need to find relief while at home. Here are some effective ways to relieve your tooth pain until you can get into the emergency dentist.

Use Cloves or Clove Oil

A popular and natural remedy for tooth pain is to use cloves. Cloves have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which not only help to reduce irritation and inflammation of the tooth, but can also help to relieve the pain. It is also an antioxidant, helping to clean the area and free it from bacteria. It is a great thing to use particularly for a tooth hurting due to an infection. You can either grind whole cloves and place them on the tooth or add some of the clove oil onto the tooth with a cotton ball. If you prefer, make a mouth rinse with water and some of the clove oil.

Rinse With Warm Saltwater

Another rinse that can help with tooth pain before you get to the dentist is with warm water and salt. It helps to use hot water with the salt, since it dissolves much more easily. After it dissolves, wait until the water cools until it is a warm temperature. You don't want to cause pain from it being too hot, since extreme temperatures can sometimes cause pain with toothaches and tooth infections. Rinse your mouth out with the saltwater rinse a few times a day to help with swelling and get rid of lodged debris that might be worsening the pain.

Use Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea is known to reduce inflammation and irritation of your skin, which can also be useful with your gums and painful tooth. You are not going to drink or brew the tea, but instead place the bag directly on the tooth that is hurting. This works best when the tea bag is cold, unless you have an infection making your tooth sensitive to extreme temperatures. If you can handle it, place the tea bag in the freezer for a few minutes, then put it onto your tooth. Leave it there for several minutes or until you start experiencing some relief.

Floss the Tooth Thoroughly

This might seem like it would irritate the tooth further, but in some cases, a toothache is worsened by having food debris that is lodged between two teeth or underneath the gum line. Make sure you brush your teeth very well, then floss around the tooth that is hurting. If debris was the culprit, you should quickly experience relief.

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28 March 2016

Teeth And Tears: Dental Dramas Of A School Nurse

I have worked as a school nurse for decades. Children come to me with all sorts of scrapes and bumps and bruises. Black eyes from playing football, sprained wrists from falling off the monkey bars and stomachaches from too many sweets are common complaints. However, the issue that seems to cause the greatest angst is tooth problems. Sometimes a child will have a second tooth knocked out when playing sport and parents arrive in tears. At other times, children come to my office crying because their friends are teasing them about teeth that are discoloured or stick out. I take an active interest in the latest dental news so that I can give parents and children comfort and advice. I have included some of my collected wisdom on these pages. Perhaps this information can help you understand some options when faced with a dental problem. Thank you for reading.