A toothache can be blamed on several causes, including a cavity, decay, an abscess or an impacted tooth. If you have a painful tooth, see a dentist to determine the cause and start appropriate treatment. In the meanwhile, treat your toothache pain with at-home remedies. Herbal remedies may be helpful, although their effectiveness has not been proven.
Step 1
Wash your mouth out with warm water. Keep your mouth clean, particularly around the toothache. Rinse with warm water several times a day as needed to help ease the pain.
Step 2
Apply a warm washcloth to your jaw where the tooth pain is present. Wet a washcloth with warm water and rinse as necessary to keep it warm. Hold it on your jaw for 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. Use a hot water bottle as an alternative to a washcloth.
Step 3
Take an over-the-counter pain medication to help ease the pain. Read the directions and take the recommended dose on the package. Take the medication as necessary to help dull the pain.
Step 4
Use a topical pain reliever containing benzocaine, a local anesthetic. Apply the gel directly on the area that is causing you pain.
Step 5
Apply oil of cloves to the area affected by pain to help ease the ache. Dilute two or three drops of clove oil with a small amount of olive oil. Use a cotton swab to apply the oil neatly and precisely. When used in the mouth, clove oil can cause burning, loss of sensation or painful sensation, according to MedLinePlus. Check with your dentist before trying herbal remedies.
Tips and Warnings
- A toothpaste designed to treat sensitive teeth may ease the pain slightly until you can see your dentist. Floss the area around the toothache to remove any foreign matter that may be causing the tooth pain.
- Call your dentist if the pain does not subside, because this could indicate a serious dental problem requiring immediate treatment. Call your dentist right away if you have any signs of infection, including swollen or bleeding gums, or discharge from the affected area. Do not apply aspirin or other pain killers on your gums, cautions Mayo Clinic, because it could cause burning of your gums. Do not consume extremely cold or hot foods or drinks while you are experiencing a toothache, because this could cause the pain to get worse. Do not use clove oil if you are allergic to cloves, cautions MedlinePlus, a website from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Make sure to dilute clove oil because large doses of undiluted clove oil can cause nausea, vomiting, sore throat, seizure, vomiting blood, kidney failure or liver damage. It may also irritate your gums and cause them to bleed. Do not take clove oil if you are pregnant or if you have diabetes.
Things You'll Need
- Washcloth
- Hot water bottle
- Over-the-counter pain medication
References
- Mayo Clinic: Toothache: First Aid
- "First Aid"; R. M. Youngson; 2003
- MedlinePlus: Clove (Eugenia Aromatica) and Clove Oil (Eugenol)
