Toothaches are a general outcome of tooth decay among most of the children and adults. Toothache is not an age-specific problem arising only among children or only among adults.
It may arise to anyone depending upon many factors, oral hygiene owning as the primary major factor. The bacteria in your mouth feed upon the sugars and starches that your foods contain. A layer of plaque is formed by these bacteria that stick to your teeth, thus causing the unwanted problem of toothache.
The acids produced by the bacteria can also eat up the white coating of your teeth, known as enamel, creating a space known as a cavity.
You may identify tooth decay as an observation of sensational pain in your tooth while you consume anything hot or cold. This decay can also be visible as black spots in your tooth or teeth.
Toothache might be caused as a result of several dental conditions. Some non-dental reasons might also include poor personal hygiene, smoking, psychological stress, malnutrition, or immunosuppression.
It should be kept in mind that toothaches are mostly a cause of and affected by large sugar intakes which directly attack the gums by giving birth to the bacteria that breed upon your gums and teeth.
This precaution can be adopted by minimizing the amount of your sugar intake and also brush your teeth at least twice daily to let the sugar dissolve away from your teeth, thus giving no chance for bacteria to breed.
Tooth decay resulting in toothache is the second most common problem in the world, after the common cold. According to a survey, 90% of the adults face toothaches, which suggests that tooth decay is a problem immensely at large scale but is still considerable among the population.
Also, 20% of the adults belong to the untreated tooth decay group who have not been treated of the problem. These studies suggest that toothache is significant as well as the most neglected problem among adults. That is because it does not belong to any specific disease group, hence giving people an idea of the problem being petty or ignorable.
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Reasons for Toothache
Though tooth decay hence cavity is the sole reason for toothache, yet there are several other reasons to be counted and considered.
Toothache(1) can be an outcome of the accumulation of food between your teeth or between your teeth spaces. Toothache can also happen because of the inflammation or infection at the root of the tooth or gums.
It can occur due to a split in the tooth that occurs over time. When a new tooth or a wisdom tooth starts to appear, and it doesn’t get enough space to erupt, it is likely to create a toothache.
Any injury or sudden trauma to your tooth or the tooth root can also act as a significant reason to toothache. A sinus infection can also impact teeth and create toothache.
There are several self-care tips for toothache cure. Some of these tips might help you get rid of pain permanently, but some of these tips might be helpful only for the shorter run until you visit your dentist.
There are times when toothache might hinder your sleep and make you restless. The home remedies can act as your savior at such times and put you back to your slumber.
How to Cure Toothache with Natural Remedies
Toothache remedies are several in number and easily obtainable within the products around you. These remedies are natural, thus posing no threat in worsening your toothache in any way.
They also might not have any side effects but only put to relief your cranky toothache, which is extremely hard to tolerate like other pains.
Taking up of these therapeutic methods to treat oral diseases are of great help and are of different types.
You can adopt any of them according to your availability and best suitability for your toothache.
Following are the remedies that can work effectively for toothache:
- Foods
- Herbs
- Home Remedies
- Essential Oils
CURE 1: Foods
A careful choice of right foods can relieve your toothache for a smaller or larger duration depending upon the severity of the pain.
A selection of soft and easy to chew products and specific home remedies are principally useful in getting rid of painful and irritating toothache that is especially troublesome during nights.
Moreover, there are several foods like cold foods, hot foods, or hard to chew foods that might only add to your pre-existing irritation.
Hence, a wide selection of food is vital for the treatment of toothache. Are you struggling with what foods to eat in toothache? The following foods will necessarily help you in stabilizing the toothache.
1. Onions
Onions or bulb onions are commonly used vegetables which is a close relative to garlic, leek and Chinese onion. Onions are available in fresh, frozen, canned and several other forms and can be bought according to the individual requirement.
How Does it Work?
Onion is observed to be an effective remedy due to its antiseptic qualities and properties. They kill the bacteria present in the mouth that might be the actual cause of your toothache. By eliminating the root cause of your pain, onions help in relieving the toothache for at least a shorter period and can reduce the pain instantly.
How to Use?
You can cut a small piece of onion and place it comfortably in your mouth to rid the pain. The piece should be placed at the affected area or can also be applied to it. Leave it on the sore spot for 5-10 minutes, and this can help you get rid of the toothache easily and instantly.
How Much to Use?
A single bulb of onion or a small piece is enough to be placed at the affected spot which can provide you the much required instant pain relief from toothache.
2. Garlic
Garlic is closely related to the species of onion. It is used widely for food flavoring. It is also used as a traditional medicine for years due to its medicinal properties.
How Does it Work?
Garlic as a toothache remedy is a useful source of eliminating the pain.
It reduces pain by killing the bacteria that might be present in your mouth and might be the underlying cause of soreness.
The properties of garlic are much similar to that of onions and fight pain by fighting the root cause of toothache.
How to Use?
Garlic can be chewed in the form of its raw peeled clove, if convenient to the patient. Otherwise, it can also be placed on the aching spot along with a pinch of salt to reduce the toothache. Garlic can also be used increasingly in food, which will enhance the flavor as well as aid in reducing toothache.
How Much to Use?
A few cloves of garlic are enough to eliminate the pain. Even a single clove of peeled garlic is enough to relieve the irritating and sensitive toothache instantly and put you to a sound sleep.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a kind of vinegar prepared from fermented apple juice. It is ready after crushing common fruit apple and extracting juice by squeezing it. The fermentation process is completed by adding bacteria and yeast, which converts sugars to alcohol.
How Does it Work?
Some researches show that apple cider vinegar is an effective natural remedy for tooth infection or toothache. The vinegar works by targeting the bacteria that might be the cause of inflammation in your mouth. But, certain precautions should be adopted while consuming apple cider vinegar.
How to Use?
A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar can be rinsed in your mouth to soothe the toothache troubling you. Sometimes, direct consumption of vinegar might not suit you.
Hence, you must first find out your suitability to vinegar. Otherwise, you can also mix it in water and rinse your mouth with the liquid. This liquid will be helpful in the instant soothing of your toothache.
How Much to Use?
A single tablespoon of apple cider vinegar can act as a correct quantity to swish in your mouth and spit it in providing immediate riddance from the prolonged toothache. It can relieve you from toothache for a particular time, after which a persisting toothache should be consulted to a dentist.
The above-mentioned foods are generally so inconsiderable during the moments of pain and toothaches that generally everyone considers running to a dentist immediately to get their dose of effective medicines to be relieved of pain.
But, these home remedies are so useful and contain such primary and vital properties of curing toothaches that if you use them regularly, you might never have to see a doctor.
CURE 2: Herbs
It is imperative to know the actual reason for your toothache for the effective treatment of the same. You can try these herbal home remedies to get rid of inflammation and swelling in your gums and mouth instantly.
These herbal remedies for toothache have a benefit over other remedies by having no side effects over your body. Also, these remedies are easy to adopt because of the easy availability of herbal ingredients in your routine kitchen products.
You can try any of these effective remedies to soothe away your toothache:
1. Turmeric
Turmeric is a flowering plant, and its roots are generally used in cooking. It is a crucial flavoring ingredient used in many Asian cuisines.
It also adds color to the food, thus making food more presentable and is widely used Indian spice.
Turmeric is believed and experimented with possessing effective medicinal properties that are effective in the treatment of various diseases.
How Does it Work?
The qualities of turmeric like its antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, and antioxidant properties are excellent to fight oral infections.
Turmeric also improves dental health naturally. It is an excellent and most effective natural remedy for toothache. Not only this, but turmeric is also used as a tooth-whitening agent.
How to Use?
You can rinse your mouth simply with a turmeric mouthwash for dental hygiene and infection protection.
You can also apply turmeric paste to the affected teeth or part of the gum to ease and soothe the irritating pain. A turmeric based golden milk tea is also an excellent method to fight away toothache.
The tea can be prepared with ingredients like coconut milk, fresh ginger, black pepper, turmeric paste, cardamom, and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
How Much to Use?
A pinch of salt for application on the affected area is the right quantity for using turmeric as an anti-bacterial for your toothache. If you prepare the turmeric based tea, which is soothing to the pain and slowly helps in reducing toothache, a tablespoon of turmeric should be added to a cup of tea.
2. Ginger Root
Ginger root or ginger is a flowering plant and is a common flavoring Indian spice used for food fragrance and taste enhancement.
Ginger root also acts as an Ayurvedic medicine used to treat several diseases like weight loss, blood pressure control, headaches, ringworms, etc.
How Does it Work?
Due to its antibacterial properties, ginger is believed and even proven to be an immensely useful herb for the treatment of toothache. It keeps plaque and gum swelling at bay.
It can even cure the slight cuts in your mouth and keeps the bacterial buildup away from your mouth. Ginger is also said to reduce the risk of gingivitis and oral cancers.
How to Use?
To get the best results out of the ginger herb, you should cut a small slice of ginger and bite it raw near the affected area. Swish the ginger juice at the painful spot and continue to chew it for 5 minutes. You can safely swallow ginger thereby.
This treatment will give you instant relief and soothe your toothache to a large extent. You can even prepare ginger tea by adding ginger root to your tea and let the ginger ingredients set down to your tea to relieve you of your toothache.
How Much to Use?
Ginger is easy to get and commonly used herb and can be consumed raw in small cut pieces. Even if you add ginger to tea, you can cut a small piece and squash the juice to your tea to enjoy the flavor as well as benefit from its healing property.
This consumption of ginger in smaller quantity 3-4 times a day can better your toothache to a large extent.
3. Peppermint Leaf
Peppermint leaves are one of the most versatile herbs. They work as an essential antioxidant and also work upon boosting body metabolism because they possess anti-allergic symptoms. It is recommended to comprise your medical shelf with peppermint leaves for good treatment of your regular ailments.
How Does it Work?
Peppermint leaves have numbing properties similar to clove that are primarily helpful in soothing your toothache. It directly eases your ache by numbing the particular affected area and provides you instant relief from the pain that might hamper your comfort largely.
How to Use?
You can directly apply a few drops of peppermint oil soaked in a cotton ball on the affected area. You can also chew raw peppermint leaves and swish the juice around the painful spot for instant relief.
Another method to use peppermint leaves for toothache cure is by preparing peppermint tea. You can add a few leaves of peppermint to boiling water steep it for 20 minutes. When you consume this soothing tea, your toothache is likely to vanish instantly.
How Much to Use?
A few leaves of peppermint leaves can be chewed for instant pain relief. Similarly, a few leaves only added to prepare peppermint tea is enough to provide you relief from your toothache. Even if you decide to directly apply the peppermint oil to your affected toothache portion, only a few drops of oil will act effectively on your pain.
The upper mentioned herbs are most effective home remedies for toothaches, and the benefits of using these remedies are simply that they are so easy to obtain when untimely toothache attacks you and you do not have an idea about scientific medication and medical access.
Moreover, these remedies involve such nominal costs that they would not be heavy on your pocket. Not to ignore the fact that these herbs have no side effects attached to their usage unless a person is allergic to them. Hence, you can use any of these herbal remedies to soothe your toothaches.
CURE 3: Essential Oils
Essential oils are widely used remedy for several diseases depending upon a person’s personal choice. But, certain precautions should mostly be adopted while using these oils.
There are risks of an adverse reaction when you apply the essential oils directly to an affected area.
Hence, doctors recommend that you should read the recommended guidelines before using these oils and also dilute them whenever needed.
1. Clove Oil
Clove is a widely used spice, but as an essential oil, clove does wonders when it comes to your dental fitness. It is a common ingredient in many oral hygiene products like toothpaste, mouthwashes, and other products. It contains a lot of properties which are of direct aid to your dental fitness.
How Does it Work?
The quality of cloves being anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial help in fighting toothaches and gum infections. Cloves also contain a natural anesthetic chemical compound known as eugenol, which helps soothe your pain and getting rid of your toothache.
Hence, it is used in several oral treatments by medical therapists and dentists to treat their patients. It is a formula widely used since the nineteenth century.
How to Use?
Clove oil can be used directly on the spot of the ache by swabbing a cotton ball soaked in the oil over the affected tooth or gum, which will instantly soothe up the pain. Though it has a strong, warm, and spicy taste and some people might not like it, but it is tried and tested medicinal oil, which is immensely effective for dental ache.
How Much to Use?
A few drops of the clove oil have to be added to the cotton ball to apply over the affected tooth. Clove oil is of no harm and edible hence can be used without any fear of adverse reaction upon your body.
Clove oil is readily available anywhere in the stores and of minimal cost. Therefore, a few drops of oil are adequate to soothe away your intolerable toothache.
2. Fennel Oil
Fennel is a flowering root of the carrot family. It is a herb with yellow flowers and feathering leaves. Fennel oil is helpful mainly in gut infections, digestive problems, and bloating reduction.
The antiseptic properties of fennel oil are known for years and have been used primarily for curing various diseases. It can quickly eliminate infection and protect wounds from getting infected.
How Does it Work?
Though fennel oil is famous for its flavoring property and as a salad ingredient, it is a powerful solution to your toothache problems. Several dentists recommend a regular involvement of fennel oil in your daily dental routine.
Moreover, it is believed to be not harsh on gums as peppermint sometimes is. The antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties of fennel oil similar to those of clove oil help to fight away the toothache.
How to Use?
Similar to clove oil, fennel oil can be directly applied to the painful oral spot. You can soak a few drops of fennel oil in a cotton ball and swap it over the gums or tooth, whatever area is infected. It is safe to use essential oil, which might also provide its other benefits from its basic properties to your body.
How Much to Use?
Essential oils are generally used in the measurement of drops. Fennel oil too is enough to be applied in a few drops soaked in a clean and fresh cotton ball and directly applied over the tooth area. Since such medications generally work better during nights, you might leave the soaked ball under your affected tooth or gum overnight and enjoy a natural sleep.
3. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of a small tea named Melaleuca alternifolia, which is found in New South Wales, Australia. Tea tree oil has been used as a medical remedy for several ailments for centuries. The leaves of this tree are crushed to obtain the oil that can be inhaled or applied to treat ailments like cough, cold, etc.
How Does it Work?
Tea tree oil works for toothache by killing certain bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These are killed by certain compounds contained in this oil, including tarpinen.
Tarpinen is also helpful as it increases the activity of white blood cells, which helps in fighting germs and other foreign invaders. For these valued properties of tea tree oil, it is known as an excellent remedy for bacterial infections.
How to Use?
Tea tree oil can be used in the form of mouthwash for oral cleansing. It can even be used regularly also if you do not suffer from a toothache to protect your teeth from bacteria and plaque.
But, if you have a toothache, you can prepare your own tea tree oil mouthwash by adding a drop of oil to a cup of warm water and swish the mouthwash in your mouth for a few seconds. But, remember that tea tree oil should not be swallowed because it may be toxic if ingested. Hence, remember to spit it away soon after using.
How Much to Use?
Since tea tree oil exhibits some toxic properties, it is not supposed to be swallowed. Only a single drop of oil is enough to prepare your mouthwash. Moreover, it should necessarily be diluted with warm water to use. You can use tea tree oil twice daily. It will help you fight bad breath and get you rid of toothache.
Essential oils are an effective remedy for several diseases for many years. Essential oils are also readily available around you and are not costly. But, one should adopt the precautions attached to their usage and test the oils’ suitability to their body requirement.
CURE 4: Home Remedies
To eliminate toothache and fight off unwanted and unpleasant harmful bacteria, some natural drinks which are most readily available for you to intake are the best options.
These drinks do not almost have any bad effects on your body but only aid immensely in fighting inflammable compounds that are harmful to your teeth and keep causing unpleasant toothache.
Read below some of the best home remedies of toothache and the directions to consume them to get rid of biting ache:
1. Saltwater Mouthwash
A saltwater oral rinsing is a highly effective and useful option to fight any sort of dental misfunction.
The best thing about using saltwater mouthwash is that it can cure all types of oral problems like bad breath, gum infections, gum sores due to a recent dental procedure, bacteria elimination, etc.
How Does it Work?
For more than 2000 years, it is known that saltwater contains elements that have anti-inflammatory effects over tooth affairs. Saltwater mouthwash works by increasing the pH value of mouth and creating an alkaline environment in which bacteria struggle to survive because bacteria and other species often survive under acidic environments.
How to Use?
Preparation of saltwater mouthwash is a straightforward affair. You only have to add half tablespoon of salt in a glass of warm water and use the mixture to rinse every 3-4 hours to observe the best results. After the problem stabilizes, you can reduce the gargle procedure to 4-5 times a day.
How Much to Use?
Only a half tablespoon of salt mixed in a glass of warm water will be enough to soothe away your pain. But, remember that you need to be consistent to permanently finish your toothache. This can be done by taking care of your teeth and gums by repeatedly rinsing your mouth with self-made saltwater mouthwash.
2. Whiskey
There was once a time when whiskey was seen as a cure for a lot of diseases and problems of the body. Whiskey to relieve toothache has been a practiced method since the Civil War.
How Does it Work?
Not only whiskey, but other alcoholic drinks like brandy, rum, or whiskey itself are also majorly effective in curing the tooth pain.
It is believed that whiskey reduces toothache by numbing the area around the affected tooth or gum and also kills certain bacteria that might be the cause of the pain, hence preventing teeth from further decay and germs.
How to Use?
Using whiskey as a toothache remedy is a simple method. You can soak whiskey in a cotton ball and swill it around the affected painful spot to get relief from the pain. You can also use some other strong liquor instead of whiskey to soothe away your toothache. But, since alcoholic drinks are dangerous to health, remember not to consume it in large quantities to affect your health directly.
How Much to Use?
Whiskey can either be swished in the mouth in a quantity of a sip, or be applied to the affected spot. But, it can also be taken down straight as a shot of whiskey or rum to soothe away your toothache. But, it should only be consumed in small quantities and only a few times to cure your ache. Otherwise, it can make you feel dizzy or numb.
3. Green Tea
Green tea is a tea that originated in China. But it is produced and manufactured in some parts of Asia. There are several varieties of green teas. It depends on one’s suitability as to which green tea they prefer to consume. As a matter of lesser known fact, green tea helps fight the painful and biting toothache.
How Does it Work?
Green tea is famous for its natural properties like anti-inflammation, antiseptic, and powerful antioxidant qualities. Unsweetened green tea is powerfully helpful in fighting toothache. Researches suggest that the antibacterial property of green tea stops the slow development of cavities.
Green tea also helps in speedy recovery from painful dental infections and aids in healing cuts and wounds like sores in the mouth.
How to Use?
Green tea bags for toothache can be prepared through brewing in hot water. First, you need to boil the water. Then pour the green tea over the warm water and let it brew for a minute.
There are several types of green tea available in the market. You should only choose the best quality of green tea, which suits you the best personally. You should also try to use fresh filtered water or from spring for preparing green tea instead of tap water. This ensures the health benefits of tea to reach you fully.
How Much to Use?
Though green tea is believed to provide some side effects on your body if you consume a little more of it, it is noted to be safe when consumed up to 4-5 cups a day.
But, you should make sure about the quality of green tea that you use to let the maximum health benefit of it reach you instead of harming you. If you consume green tea prepared adequately and following a proper routine, it is likely to primarily help you in eliminating your toothache and providing you a great relief.
4. Wheatgrass Juice
Wheatgrass is freshly sprouted leaves of the wheat plant. Wheatgrass juice is both available at juice bars or even prepared by people on their own. Wheatgrass has several health properties which are believed to cure cancer. Wheatgrass has the same nutrient content to that of a dark leafy vegetable.
How Does it Work?
Like other drinks helpful in treating toothache, wheatgrass juice also consists of natural antibacterial properties that help in remedying toothache and tooth decay. The juice is said to absorb all the toxins from the gums, stop new host bacteria from attacking and control the oral infections.
How to Use?
Wheatgrass juice is readily available readymade in juice bars or online stores at minimal prices. You can obtain the juice from there or even prepare your juice at home by merely extracting it from raw wheatgrass.
You only have to follow the simple method of rinsing your mouth with the juice for getting rid of your toothache. Alternatively, wheatgrass can also be chewed raw, and the juice obtained while chewing should be swished around the sore spot in your mouth.
How Much to Use?
Since the wheatgrass juice has to be only swished in your mouth and rinse your mouth with it, you only need a sip of juice to cure your toothache. If you decide to chew the raw wheatgrass, a few pinches of wheatgrass might be enough to do away with your aching tooth or gums and get you rid of your irritating toothache.
The drinks mentioned above to help you get rid of your toothache are the simple remedies that you can adopt whenever the ache suddenly hits you at odd times.
Bottom Line
The best benefit of using them is that they are readily available at your home, mostly in your kitchen pantry and you do not need to run at your inconvenience to catch with them. Moreover, they aren’t heavy at your pocket at all, thus helping you bid goodbye to your toothache without creating a hole in your pocket.
With the deterioration in the quality of food products available today and less preference and attention are given to oral hygiene and fitness. Toothache has emerged as the most common problem which people consider to be a minor or regular problem.
A toothache is not a problem which can be ignored or taken leniently because these problems can cause long-lasting and even forever lasting problems in your teeth. Toothaches should be given medical attention at the earliest if they last longer than average.
With all the home remedies and usage of natural products, you are likely to do away with the irritating pain in your teeth and gums which can be a result of several factors like tooth decay, mouth ulcers, gum infections, teething, popping up of wisdom tooth, etc.
You can adopt all these remedies according to your preference and availability of the products very easily without having to bear the heavy burden of significant medical expenses that leave you regretting over a pre-negligence towards health earlier.
It is also crucial that you get proper knowledge and education about correct dental hygiene methods and ways to maintain a healthy oral status thus eliminating any risk of significant problems at a young age because toothaches can be much more irritating than any other pains and can cause nights of sleeplessness.
A proper brushing, rinsing, and flossing routine should be adopted, and you should also visit your dentist regularly to ensure healthy teeth.
FAQs
1. What is the cause of toothaches?
Toothaches are generally caused due to the infection inside the tooth caused by a tooth cavity. Toothaches can also be the reason for an exposed nerve from a cracked tooth. If you suffer pain related to hot or cold fluids, it is likely to be from sensitivity.
2. How should toothache be cured?
Toothaches can be irritating and need immediate attention. You can cure your toothache through several home remedies which help you soothe your pain instantly. These remedies are safe to use and are readily available. But, if problem after trying home remedies persists, you should immediately visit your dentist and seek medical care.
3. Are home remedies effective in curing toothaches?
Yes, natural home remedies are effective due to their properties in the treatment of toothache. But, if the problem does not disappear even after trying them, you might be suffering from something more serious, which might need medical attention. In that case, you should visit your dentist who would try to get rid of the problem from its root cause.