A toothache is a catchall term that describes pain in the teeth or jaw. It may only be a mild and dull pain that affects one side of the mouth. It could be a sharp but temporary jolt of pain that hits you when you drink something cold, or a deep throbbing pain that radiates throughout your head. If you have a severe toothache or the pain last for several days, you should book an appointment with your dentist. A toothache could be a sign of tooth decay, a cracked tooth, receding gums, an infection, or an abscess. Before you get into see your dentist, here are some home remedies that may help with the pain:
Pain Medication
A pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help with the pain, while an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen (Advil) or ASA (Aspirin) will help with the pain and also reduce swelling. Do not take more than the recommended dosage or maximum daily dosage. If your child or teen has a toothache, under no circumstances should you give them Aspirin as in very rare cases it is linked with a serious illness known as Reye syndrome.
Cold Compress
A cold compress applied to your jaw can help alleviate the pain of a toothache and reduce swelling. Simply wrap a cold compress or ice pack in a towel and apply to the side of your face. If you don’t have either of these items, you can chill a cloth or small face towel in the freezer and use that instead.
Salt Water & Baking Soda
This is an easy anti-bacterial mouth rinse that can be made with materials at home. Put a small scoop of baking soda and large pinch of salt into a cup of warm water. Gently swirling the mixture around in your mouth can be soothing, and may reduce the pain and swelling.
Teabag
Black and green tea alike are high in tannic acid, an astringent that helps reduce swelling and improve healing. All you need to do is bite down or suck on a warmed teabag and enjoy some gentle relief.
Garlic
A clove of garlic can slightly numb your tooth to reduce the sensation of pain. All you need to do is hold a peeled clove of garlic against your tooth for a couple minutes. Rinse your mouth out with warm water afterward.
A toothache is no fun, and an appointment with your dentist will help solve the problem. In the meantime, these home remedies can provide some relief.
