How to Treat Your Toothache at Home

By: Dr. Amy See

Are you experiencing a toothache but can’t go to the dentist right away?  In this article, we’ll discuss the best ways to treat your toothache at home while waiting to see a dentist.

There are treatments you can do at home to treat your toothache naturally. The reasons for your toothache can occur for a variety of reasons such as a small piece of food stuck in your molars to a serious tooth infection that needs to be treated by a dentist right away. 

If you find that your toothache is persistent or the pain worsens over time, you must make an appointment with your dentist immediately to have it checked by a professional.

If you delay receiving treatment, it can worsen the underlying cause of your toothache and will likely mean you will need more extensive (and expensive!) dental care to treat it.

Tips On Managing Your Tooth Pain at Home

If you have to wait before you can see your dentist, there are a few easy things you can do at home that will ease your discomfort from tooth pain.

For immediate pain relief, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help manage your pain. But if your pain persists, please make sure you see your dentist to treat the cause of your pain before it gets worse.

If you have a noticeable chip/broken tooth or a cavity, it’s important to protect the exposed nerve of your damaged tooth.

This exposed nerve is very sensitive and will hurt worse if you let it come in contact with any cold beverages/food or hard-to-chew foods that requires a lot of chewing. 

You can prevent making your pain worse by choosing soft easy-to-chew food and being careful to make sure any cold food/drink does not come in contact with the painful area of your mouth.

We recommend drinking from a straw for beverages and trying not to chew on the tooth or side of your mouth that hurts to prevent further damage.

Also, please know that if you have a broken or damaged tooth, this area is highly vulnerable to infection from the bacteria in your mouth.

So it’s important that you take precautions to protect this area until you can get it professionally treated and fully healed.

In the meantime, you can significantly lower your risk for serious infection by cutting down on eating processed sugar and junk food (such as sugary sodas, ice cream, hard candies, etc).

The bacteria in your mouth love sugar and will thrive in its presence. So if you indulge by eating a lot of sugar-filled sodas, ice cream, hard candies, etc. it creates the perfect environment for the bacteria to grow.

And this increase of bacteria in your mouth will exponentially increase the risk of infection in your damaged tooth area and worsen your pain.

Apply a Cold Compress

If you have a toothache due to a physical injury (like from playing sports, etc) applying a cold compress on your injury will help constrict the blood vessels and help reduce the pain and swelling.

It’s important that you begin putting on a cold compress as soon as possible because it will significantly help reduce the swelling that is a contributor to pain.

We recommend wrapping a bag of ice or a cold pack in a towel and applying this to the pain area for at least 15 - 20 minutes at a time. Keep repeating this process for the next few hours to keep the swelling and pain at bay.

Make Sure to Rinse Your Mouth with Saltwater

A simple saltwater rinse is one of the best all-natural home remedies for a toothache because salt acts as a natural antibacterial agent.

The warm saltwater will kill the bacteria in your mouth by increasing the pH balance and making the environment in your mouth more alkaline.

The harmful bacteria in your mouth cannot survive in this type of alkaline environment and will immediately begin to die off.

In addition, a saltwater rinse will help dislodge any food debris stuck in your teeth and gums, and further help break up the pus surrounding your tooth if you have an infected abscess.

The best part of saltwater is that it will naturally help reduce any inflammation around your toothache and protect your teeth from further infection.

To make a saltwater rinse, all you need is regular table salt and a warm glass of tap water.

Mix 1 tablespoon of salt into ½ cup of warm tap water. Then swish a mouthful of saltwater in your mouth for at least 30 seconds and then spit it out. Repeat this at least 2 - 3 times a day to help reduce your pain and discomfort.

Use Tea Bags to Stop Bleeding & Reduce Pain

Did you know that black and green teas are a natural home remedy that helps stop bleeding and reduces swelling?

This is because black and green teas contain tannins and flavonoids which have natural antibacterial properties and studies have shown that it helps reduce inflammation, bleeding, and pain in our bodies.

The best way to use tea for your toothache is to use tea bags.

All you have to do is make a cup of tea using a teabag, and once the bag has cooled down, place the tea bag in your mouth on the affected tooth.

You can also swish the tea inside your mouth as you’re drinking a cup since tea has natural antibacterial properties that’ll give you the added benefit of reducing the bacteria in your mouth.

We recommend using your favorite black or green tea. Our personal favorite is peppermint tea because the menthol in it helps create a cooling sensation that is great for helping to numb the pain.

Although peppermint tea is an herbal tea, just like black or green tea, it contains flavonoids that also reduce inflammation and pain. Peppermint tea also contains analgesic properties which help reduce symptoms such as headaches, migraines, and soothe nerve and muscular-related tension.

Make Sure to See Your Dentist

If the home remedies listed above help improve your toothache and relieves some of the pain, don’t take it as a sign that you’re now cured. There’s a reason why your tooth hurts so you must get it checked out by a dentist as soon as possible. 

Often, toothaches and persistent pain in your mouth are warning signs of worsening tooth decay or an abscess from an infection. These will require treatment right away otherwise the issue will get worse as time goes on. 

If you find that you’re experiencing pain or discomfort in your mouth, we can help treat the cause.  If you have any questions or are unsure if you should see a dentist, please feel free to give us a call and our staff will be happy to assist you in any way that you need.

If you’re ready to treat your toothache and be free from the pain, call us today at (919) 562-8200) to schedule an appointment.