10 Home Remedies for Toothache Pain

I am convinced that there is no pain worse than tooth pain. There may be pain that’s more searing but there is no pain that continues as long in such a throbbing uncomfortable manner. Toothache pain is terrible because there isn’t a whole lot that you can do to relieve it. I speak from experience, having dealt with more than my fair share of tooth problems over the years. All that you can really do is to go to a dentist to resolve the underlying problem, which is obviously something that you can’t do in the middle of the night when tooth pain seems to strike the hardest.

I’ve tried a number of home remedies for tooth pain over the years. Some worked better than others. Results seemed to depend on what was actually causing the tooth pain (wisdom teeth growing in, need for a root canal, gum infection, etc.) In some cases, nothing worked. However, I know that when you’re dealing with a bad toothache, you’re willing to try anything to get some relief. And luckily, there are a lot of home remedies for tooth pain right in your own cabinets and closets.

Here are ten home remedies that I’d recommend trying for tooth pain. They may or may not work for you but they’re certainly worth a try when tooth pain strikes:

1.     Fresh onion or garlic. Take a fresh onion or a fresh clove of garlic. Slice it to a size that fits right over your tooth. Chew on it carefully, releasing the juice of the food into the tooth that hurts. There is no denying that this home remedy tastes absolutely awful. In fact, having tried it with garlic I was unable to even think about eating foods with garlic in them for weeks. However, the pain of a toothache can often be relieved with this simple home cure.

2.     Clove oil. I have never actually tried this home remedy myself because of the fact that I’ve never kept clove oil around the house. To be honest, I don’t even know where to find it. Nevertheless, I know that it’s a common home remedy for tooth pain because I’ve had a lot of people tell me to try it when I’ve complained about toothaches.

3.     Ice or heat. This is one of the most effective toothache home remedies that I have used over the years. Usually, the way that this works is to put an ice pack on the jaw on the outside of the mouth. However, I have also let ice melt in my mouth around the tooth or swished my mouth out with cold ice water. I will say that in some cases this made the problem worse because it made the area very sensitive but there were other times when it helped immensely. Incidentally, some people say that you can actually rub ice on your hand, between your thumb and forefinger, and it can ease tooth pain. Using heat packs on the outside of the mouth isn’t recommended nearly so often but I’ve also found this to help with tooth pain in rare instances.

4.     Liquor. A strong shot of alcohol swished around on the tooth can do wonders for tooth pain. Whiskey is a common choice although I’ve known people who tried everything from brandy to tequila. Take a shot, swish it around and feel some relief.

5.     Extracts. The same effect as what you get with alcohol shots can be achieved (albeit usually to a lesser degree) by applying drops of certain extracts directly onto the tooth. Vanilla extract and almond extract are the most common ones that are used.

6.     Warm salt water. It has always been recommended to me that I wash my mouth out with warm salt water whenever I have any tooth pain. In some cases, this does seem to ease the pain.

7.     Salt and pepper. Make a paste out of salt, pepper and a little bit of water. Use a Q-tip to apply this paste to the affected area. This can relieve the pain of the toothache. The spicier the pepper, the more likely it is that this home cure will be effective for you.

8.     Wheatgrass. I recently read that wheatgrass is a great natural cure for tooth pain. It is something that is increasingly common around the house considering how healthy it is supposed to be for you. You can either chew the wheatgrass or, since most people have it at home in a liquid form, swish your mouth out with it. It has anti-bacterial properties that can help ease some tooth pain.

9.     Limes and lemons. The strong citric acid and Vitamin C in these fruits might be useful in reducing pain from tooth problems. Take a slice of the fruit and place it directly onto the affected area. Alternatively, squeeze the juice out of the fruit and swish the area with it. Another option is to squeeze the juice out and add a bit of salt to make a paste which you can apply topically to the area.

10. Tea bags. Make yourself a nice warm cup of tea. Now take the tea bag out. Place it directly on to your tooth and bite down. The warmth plus the healing properties of the tea should relieve your pain at least temporarily.

Tooth problems are usually serious. Tooth pain doesn’t go away on its own. You should see a dentist as soon as possible to correct the problem that is causing the pain. However, these cures can be helpful in between the time when the pain begins and the dentist resolves it for you.