Toothaches --- whether caused by cavities, infection or decay --- can be extremely painful, and can also be accompanied by headaches or nausea. Your best remedy for a toothache is to visit your dentist. If you can't get an appointment right away, however, you may be able to relieve the pain at home. As toothaches vary from person to person, you may have to try several remedies, or a combination of remedies, before finding the one that works best for you.
Step 1
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Follow manufacturer guidelines regarding dosage.
Step 2
Make a ginger or red pepper compress. Combine ground ginger or red pepper with water to make a gooey paste. Dip a cotton ball in the mixture, wring it out and apply the cotton directly to your tooth. To avoid burning the inside of your mouth, make sure the compress does not come in contact with your gums.
Step 3
Crush a clove of garlic and apply it directly to the tooth. Allow the garlic to rest on the tooth for several minutes, then rinse your mouth with warm water.
Step 4
Apply crushed ice to the painful tooth. Cold helps relieve many toothaches, but sometimes it exacerbates them. If the ice worsens your toothache, swish warm water in your mouth instead.
Step 5
Chew on a piece of willow bark, then press it gently into the tooth to ease the pain. Willow bark contains salicin, a pain-relieving chemical related to aspirin. Alternatively, brew tea from willow bark and drink it to ease your toothache, or take a tincture. Willow-bark tinctures and whole willow bark are available at many organic grocery stores and herbal outlets.
Step 6
Fry a piece of rhubarb, then steep it in rubbing alcohol to create a tincture. Soak a cotton ball in the tincture and place it on your tooth for five minutes. Remove the cotton ball and rinse your mouth in warm water. Rhubarb contains at least six chemical compounds that help relieve pain, according to James Duke, author of "The Green Pharmacy."
Tips and Warnings
- Sometimes dentists prescribe painkillers or antibiotics to patients with toothaches, and direct patients to take them before their scheduled appointment. Ask your dentist whether this is an option. If you have an infection, a course of antibiotics can help with the pain.
- Check with your doctor before giving aspirin or any drug containing salicylate to any child under the age of 19. The ingestion of salicylates by children is linked with Reye's Syndrome, a disease that can damage the liver and brain, and cause death.
Things You'll Need
- Aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen
- Ground ginger or red pepper
- Cotton balls
- Garlic cloves
- Crushed ice
- Willow bark or willow-bark tincture
- Rhubarb
- Rubbing alcohol
