Pain from a toothache can often feel worse than a migraine. Facial nerve pain travels from the teeth to the brain and causes misery for the sufferer. When you can't wait on a doctor's appointment and your teeth and head throb, turn to a few home remedies to help stop the pain and infection from occurring--or in some cases worsening.
Grandma Knew Best
The old-school remedy from your grandma of warm water and salt still provides effective pain relief from toothaches until you can get to your dentist. Salt reduces the swelling, and, in the case of tooth abscess, the pain from the swelling hurts as much as the pain cause by the bacteria, according to the "Complete Home Guide to Symptoms and Remedies" from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Natural Bacteria Killers
Killing the bacteria that causes the pain in the first place provides quick pain relief and eases swelling. Rinsing your mouth with a hydrogen peroxide solution gets down into the tooth cavity and into the gum line where the larger molecules of salt can't go. Using a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution, take a couple of tablespoons into your mouth and hold it there for a few seconds. Spit it out into the sink, and rinse your mouth, if you feel it necessary, with a scant amount of water. Perform this three to four times per day and you alleviate pain, swelling and infection, states Bill Gottlieb, author of "Alternative Cures."
When you visit the doctor, the dental assistant numbs your gums with clove oil before injecting Novocain. Clove oil kills bacteria and, when used for a toothache, numbs the site of the pain. In the case of an actual cavity, clove oil kills germs and calms the nerve until you can see the dentist. To control the amount of clove oil you use, put a few drops on an ear swab and rub onto the affected spot. Take care not to swallow clove oil as it irritates the stomach.
Tea Relief
A warm, wet tea bag placed against the gum line of the aching tooth reduces swelling and pain. Tannins in the tea help draw out toxins, states Phyllis A. Balch, CNC in her book "Prescriptions for Herbal Healing." Also, gently biting down on a warm tea bag can provide pain relief through the pressure blocking of nerve impulses to the brain.
Muscle Balms
Common muscle balms, used to soothe muscle aches and pains, also offer pain relief from toothaches. Simply place a small dab of the muscle balm on the face in the location of the toothache and feel an immediate relief from pain. Toothache pain irritates the facial nerves and can cause headaches. When the facial nerve calms down, pain from the toothache decreases and headaches subside.
References
- Complete Home Guide to Symptoms and Remedies; Johns Hopkins; 2004
- Alternative Cures; Bill Gottlieb; 2008
- Prescriptions for Herbal Healing; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2002
