Wisdom teeth are a great milestone for many individuals. They will usually appear between 18 and 25, but for some, these teeth appear much later. By definition, wisdom teeth constitute the last teeth in all of the four rows in the mouth. As expected, these are the last teeth to grow in the mouth.

girl showing her teeth with magnifying glassConsequently, they may not always be ample space for the teeth to grow well. This often results in the growth of wisdom teeth at odd angles, what is medically referred to as an impacted wisdom teeth. This causes immense pain, and is often accompanied by swollen gums.

Other challenges that come with wisdom tooth pain include difficulty in chewing food, bad mouth odor, persistent headaches and possible infections of the surrounding teeth.

Overall, this pain and discomfort can easily get in the way of daily activities. Using home remedies is one way to keep the pain in check. If, however, the pain is recurrent and more severe after a couple of days, it is advisable to consult with a dentist to determine the best way forward. Below are handy home remedies that you can use.


1. Ice Pack:

Time Required: 20 Min
What You Need: Ice cubes and a clean washcloth.
Difficulty: Easy


An ice pack has got to be one of the simplest yet most effective ways to deal with wisdom teeth pain. The core purpose of the ice is to numb the area surrounding the teeth, thus providing relief from the pain. Despite the fact that this relief is temporary, and you would have to repeat it severally throughout the day, it does work excellently. Repeat the directions provided below as often as you would need. Note, however, that you need to warp the ice cubes in a clean wash cloth. This is done in order to prevent skin damage through the development of frost bites.


  1. Wrap the ice cubes using the washcloth.
  2. Place the pack on the jaw that is affected by the wisdom teeth. Repeat this several times for pain relief.
  3. You could also choose to bite on the ice pack for transient numbness and pain relief.


2. Clove:

Time Required: 20 Min
What You Need: Clove oilbuds and cotton wool. Olive oil (optional)
Difficulty: Easy


Clove is an excellent home remedy, best known for its amazing benefits in the management of tooth aches and pain from wisdom teeth. This is attributed to its potent analgesic traits which help create numbness in the area surrounding the affected teeth. Clove’s anesthetic properties also go a long way in managing the pain. Additionally, cloves are rich in antibacterial properties which help by eliminating the possibility of tooth infections. The advantage of using cloves is that the buds are just as effective as the oil, so you get to choose what suits you best.


  1. Place three drops of clove oil on the cotton wool ball, taking care not to get the wool overly soaked. Add olive oil if you feel that the clove oil is extremely string for you.
  2. Use the wool to apply the oil on the affected wisdom tooth and the surrounding gum.
  3. Allow the oil to remain in the tooth for a few minutes. Repeat this procedure thrice daily for pain relief.
  4. Alternatively, use the clove buds to deal with the pain. Simply place two whole cloves in your mouth and chew on them to release the oils. This is important because once the oil seeps through the gum, it numbs the area and provides you with much-needed pain relief.


3. Garlic:

Time Required: 15 Min
What You Need: 2 Cloves of garlic, pestle, and mortar. Salt and mint leaves (optional).
Difficulty: Easy


Garlic is one of the most important home remedies, thanks to its diverse properties. Its rich antioxidant properties coupled with its anti-inflammatory traits makes garlic an ideal way to deal with wisdom teeth pain. The advantage of using this remedy is that its antibacterial nature helps eliminate any potential infections in the mouth. Garlic is also simple to use and effective. In case you are concerned about the pungent sulfur-like smell that results from chewing on garlic cloves, then feel free to chew on some mint leaves.


  1. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the garlic clove so that you have minced garlic which is easy to use.
  2. Place the minced garlic against the painful wisdom teeth and hold it down to allow the garlic’s healing powers set in.
  3. Spit the minced garlic and chew on fresh mint leaves. Repeat this procedure thrice daily for pain relief.
  4. Alternatively, chew on the whole garlic clove, making sure you focus on the affected area.


4. Peppermint:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: Peppermint oil and cotton wool. Alternatively, use dried peppermint leaves and a cup of hot water.
Difficulty: Easy


Peppermint has long been used to manage toothaches, and is particularly effective for wisdom tooth pain. Additionally, peppermint leaves have potent anesthetic properties that not only get rid of the pain, but also numb the affected region. Using this remedy also comes in handy as it helps eliminate potential bacterial infections that may worsen the condition. There are two ways to use peppermint as a natural remedy for wisdom toot pain. The first involves the use of peppermint oil, while the second revolves around the use of the dried leaves to create a peppermint drink.


Method 1: Using peppermint oil

  1. Place four drops of peppermint oil on the cotton wool.
  2. Use the soaked cotton wool to apply the oil on the painful wisdom tooth.
  3. Let the soaked wool remain in the mouth for a couple of minutes.
  4. Rinse using warm salty water. Repeat this procedure thrice daily until you get relief from the pain.

Method 2: Using dried peppermint leaves

  1. Place a teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves in a cup before adding the hot water.
  2. Allow the leaves to steep in the water for 15 minutes.
  3. Drink the peppermint solution and swish in the mouth for a minute.
  4. Spit the solution and repeat the procedure twice more in one sitting. Use this remedy thrice daily until the pain eases.


5. Leaves From The Guava Tree:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: 3 Young tender guava leaves. Alternatively, use 6 tender leaves, a cup of water, and a strainer.
Difficulty: Easy


Guava leaves are an age-old remedy for wisdom teeth pain. This is because they have an active compound known as quercetin. Quercetin is hailed for its excellent anti-spasmodic traits. These properties reduce the spasms associated with the pain. Additionally, the leaves have great anti-inflammatory properties which work well in the management of pain. As a general guide, use the young tender leaves as they are more palatable.


Method 1:

  1. Clean the 3 leaves well before chewing on them slowly. This is done to extract the juice and allow it to saturate the area surrounding the affected gum area.
  2. Chew on the leaves for 10 minutes and spit. Repeat this procedure thrice daily.

Method 2:

  1. Wash the guava leaves before placing them in a cup of hot water.
  3. Strain the mixture and allow it to cool.
  4. After your normal brushing routine, use the guava mixture as a mouthwash to ease the pain associated with wisdom teeth.


6. Vanilla Extract:

Time Required: 20 Min
What You Need: Vanilla extract and cotton wool.
Difficulty: Easy


Vanilla extract is best known for its role in cooking, but you will be elated to discover that the extract has excellent anti-inflammatory properties when used for the management of wisdom teeth pain. The extract is obtained from vanilla beans through the process of brewing. Water and alcohol are used during this process. Vanilla extract has a high concentration of antioxidants, and has negligible amounts of alcohol. These combined properties enable vanilla extract numb the gums surrounding the wisdom teeth, thus providing pain relief.

NOTE: Vanilla extract is not the same as vanilla essence. The extract, as mentioned above, is obtained from the vanilla beans. The essence on the other hand, is obtained through the mixing of relevant chemicals to mimic the properties of the extract. For this reason, replacing the extract with vanilla essence may not provide the desired outcome.


  1. Place three drops of the vanilla extract on the cotton wool and rub on the affected wisdom tooth for 10 minutes
  2. Leave the soaked cotton wool at the site of the affected tooth for 5 minutes before discarding the used cotton wool. Repeat this procedure thrice daily for bets results.


7. Asafetida:

Time Required: 20 Min
What You Need: A quarter teaspoon of Asafetida, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and cotton wool.
Difficulty: Easy


Asafetida is an age-old remedy used to eliminate the pain that is associated with wisdom teeth. This remedy is also known as ‘hing’, and is quite popular with those who use Ayurveda. the remedy works because it has excellent anti inflammatory, antispasmodic and antibacterial properties. All these traits work well in the management of tooth pain. Lemon juice is added for its antiseptic properties which compliment the function of Asafetida.


  1. Mix the Asafetida powder with the lemon juice to create a paste-like substance.
  2. Heat this mixture to warm it before soaking the cotton wool in it.
  3. Dab the paste onto the affected tooth for 5 minutes. Repeat this procedure until you feel much better.


Other remedies ideal for the management of wisdom teeth pain include sage which is a natural anti-inflammatory, salt which helps fight off potential infections, tea tree oil whose antibacterial properties and mild anesthetic properties are beneficial as well as lavender oil. Baking soda is also an ideal home remedy that helps prevent the accumulation of plaque which could easily worsen the pain.