Tooth Pain: At-Home Remedies & When to See a Professional

Tooth pain can impact your quality of life. It can be challenging to chew and eat when your tooth hurts, and the pain may distract you from your daily activities.

Luckily, you can discover relief by using home remedies for your toothache. Try these seven tips to reduce your tooth pain until you can visit a professional, which is the only way to permanently rid yourself of tooth pain.

1. Saltwater Rinse Remedy

Swishing salt water around in your mouth will clean out debris and particles stuck in the teeth and could temporarily reduce the pain in your tooth. Add a half a teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water and swish several times before spitting out the salt water. Repeat until there is no water left.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse Remedy

You can help stop tooth pain at home using a mix containing equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water as a mouthwash. The hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria and decreases plaque while treating bleeding gums. Do not swallow the mixture, though — spit it out after each rinse.

3. Cold Compress Remedy For Tooth Pain

Applying a cold compress to the infected area of your mouth can numb the pain for a few minutes. The compress restricts blood flow by constricting the blood vessels, also lessening swelling and inflammation. Keep the compress on for about 20 minutes.

4. Clove or Peppermint Oil

Many home remedies for tooth infections involve peppermint or clove oil because they naturally numb pain. Apply the oil to the sensitive area, which should feel soothed within a few minutes. If you do not have any peppermint oil, a peppermint tea bag makes a suitable substitute. Let it cool after steeping, and then apply it to the painful area.

5. Use Garlic To Treat Tooth Pain

Garlic kills the bacteria that creates dental plaque and also acts as a natural pain reliever. Try making a paste from crushed garlic and a dash of salt and putting it on your ailing tooth. You can also chew a clove of fresh garlic for similar benefits.

6. Vanilla Extract

Vanilla is an antioxidant and excellent healer. It also contains alcohol, which can numb pain on contact. Put a bit of vanilla on a cotton ball and apply it to the inflamed areas of the mouth three or four times a day.

7. Over-the-Counter Pain Medication For Tooth Pain

Taking acetaminophen, aspirin or other over-the-counter medications can ease your pain for hours at a time. Medicine can help you navigate discomfort for a few days, but you should not rely on medicine or any other pain remedy for the long term. The pain only goes away permanently when you resolve the issue in your mouth.

See Your Endodontist for Treatment

You can learn how to stop tooth pain at home, but home remedies will not fix the problem causing the pain. Until you have addressed that cause, you will continue to experience discomfort. Make an appointment with Midtown Endodontist NYC today to diagnose the cause of your tooth pain. Give us a call at (347) 708-8795.