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How to Relieve a Toothache

        Health | Dental Problems

Natural Toothache Remedies

Apply oil of cloves. You can pick this up at the pharmacy. Follow the directions for use carefully (because ingesting too much can lead to poisoning), and be sure to put it only on the tooth and NOT on the gum. Otherwise, your burning gums

may distract you from your toothache. And remember, oil of cloves won't cure the toothache; it just temporarily numbs the nerve.

Cool the swelling. Put a cold compress on the outside of your cheek if you've got swelling from the toothache.

Chill the pain. Holding an ice cube or cold water in the

mouth may relieve the pain. But if you find that it simply aggravates your sensitive tooth, skip it.

Keep your head up. Elevating your head can decrease the pressure in the area and may lessen throbbing pain.

Rinse. You can't really rinse away the pain (although it's a pleasant thought), but you can rinse with warm water to remove any food debris that may be causing or aggravating the pain. A piece of food that gets stuck in the gum can hurt as much as damaged tooth pulp. Stir one teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water, swish it around in your mouth, then spit it out.

Floss. No, it's not a cure, but flossing is another way to remove any food debris that could be trapped. The rubber tip on your toothbrush or a toothpick (if used with caution) can help dislodge stuck food, too.

Be careful with the hot, the cold, and the sweet. These foods and beverages may aggravate an already sore and sensitive situation.

Plug it with gauze or gum. If the tooth feels sensitive to air, cover it with a piece of gauze, a small piece of dental wax (available at many pharmacies), or a bit of chewed sugarless chewing gum (use the teeth on the opposite side of the mouth to chew the gum) until you can get to the dentist.

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