What are some home remedies for a toothache?

What causes a toothache?

There could be several factors at play where the pain of the tooth itself is merely a manifestation of some other underlying issue. You don't appreciate it at this moment, but your teeth are your body's warning system that something is wrong.

If you experience any of the following symptoms,please contact an emergency dentist as soon as possible:

• Are you experiencing fever?
• Are you finding breathing and swallowing difficult?
• Is the affected area surrounding the tooth swollen?
• Is your check or jaw on the same side as the affected area also swollen and feeling sensitive to the touch (almost like a tingling sensation)?

• Clove and Clove Oil (not recommended for pregnant women)

  Cloves have long been revered for their antiseptic and anesthetic properties: both fresh cloves and dehydrated forms are effective in the relief of toothache pain.

  Cloves were used as far back as 200 BC in China for the relief of toothache pain. During the 19th century - long before dental hygiene as we know it today - dentists would carry liberal supplies of clove oil to numb a patient's mouth before and after extraction and for the alleviation of toothache pain. Clove oil contains Eugenol, which has a bactericidal, anesthetic quality that makes it an effective natural painkiller.

  How to use:

  Place a fresh or dehydrated clove on the painful part of the tooth and bite down gently for 30 minutes; if the pain allows, chew the clove until it is soft, thus allowing the natural oil to permeate the affected area. You should experience numbness to the area within minutes of application. If the pain persists, chew a second clove.

  You can also apply clove oil directly to the affected spot with a Q-Tip, but make sure to avoid the tongue and surrounding gum area. In addition to having a strong, concentrated unpleasant taste of cloves, the oil can also irritate the surrounding tissue. Leaving the oil on for 3 minutes should adequately numb the painful tooth.

  Note that clove oil is for external use only: It should not to be swallowed. Rinse thoroughly with water after application. More than 2 applications with clove oil is not recommended. Clove oil can be toxic if taken in large quantities.

Users recommend other remedies:

• Garlic and onions also have healing qualities that many people overlook.
• BC Powder (which doesn't taste that great, but works very fast) is a great OTC (over-the-counter) remedy. Take 2 BC powders along with a shot of gin; hold it in your mouth (so that the solution is resting on the sore tooth) for about 30 sec-1 min. More than likely your sore, throbbing tooth will last for no longer than about 45 seconds.
• Pour undiluted clove oil on the sore tooth using a tiny nozzled plastic syringe, and take an anti-inflammatory/pain reliever.
• Place either ground clove or pure food-grade clove oil on the affected tooth. This has worked better than Vicodin to relieve pain from a toothache.
• Oregano. I woke up this morning with the worst tooth ache ever (from a back-tooth cavity). Place some oregano flakes on your tooth. Alternatively, mix warm water, salt and oregano in a cup and swish that around the tooth.
• The best thing I have found to use for toothache pain is Hurricaine Gel. It is a topical anesthetic, the kind the dentist uses right before giving you a Novocaine shot. Best of all, you do not have to use a lot of the gel to kill the pain - and it lasts for hours. This can be purchased at any pharmacy without a RX.

  Hurricaine Gel comes in different flavors; I have found that the original (without any flavor) is better and does not taste bad at all. The anesthesia is effective within half a minute. The gel can also be used for cold sores, cuts in gums due to braces, loose teeth, etc.

• This sounds crazy, but nothing worked for me except peanut butter! I think it must have something to do with the oils in it. I put a dab on the gum by the tooth and, almost right away, the pressure and pain stopped.
• Everyone was saying that vanilla or almond extract works, so I went to my cabinets and all I had was pure lemon extract... it really worked wonders! Be careful, though, because it burns; it has 84% alcohol - more than the other extracts - and it worked instantly!
• Putting Goody Powders or BC's on a toothache also works - for a little while - but it makes the inside of your mouth raw if you use it too much.
• Dab a Q-Tip in your favorite alcohol or whiskey, then apply to the painful area until the pain subsides.
• To get rid of a toothache almost instantly, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a glass of water. Leave in your mouth for a couple of seconds, and then spit out. Do this until all the mixture is gone.
• Baking soda and water... it's the only thing that works. Forget cloves... forget Anbesol... Forget Tylenol and Advil... (and of course it's best to go see your dentist).
• OTC medicine called "Red Cross" is the only OTC med that has worked for me. It's a 3-part kit for about $4, and consists of a small vial with a liquid, a pack of miniature cotton balls, and a pair of off-set tweezers. This stuff really works!! My dentist refers to it as "a root canal in a bottle." Instant relief.
• I have been taking ibuprofen for toothache pain. At first a double dose was necessary, but once the pain subsided, a single dose every 3-4 hours was sufficient. I also tried the peroxide rinse one night (when I was out of Ibuprofen), followed by a warm saltwater rinse. Then I put ice in a dish towel and held it to my palm and cheek simultaneously. Obviously I was desperate and in much pain. My pain did go away in a few minutes after the rinse, but started to return, so I resorted to the ice. Between the two remedies, something worked - my intense pain subsided.