Best Home remedies for toothache

Dr. Aakash Arora 2024-02-11 22:30:38

Toothache often occurs at night when we can not seek medical help and medicines are not available, thus we have to resort to home remedies to relieve Dental Pain. Such toothache is characterized by discomfort in the teeth or gums and stems from various causes such as decay, gum disease, infections, trauma, or sensitivity. 

Commonly used home remedies to relieve Toothache are: 

• Saltwater rinses
• Clove oil
• Hydrogen peroxide rinses
• Cold compression
• Peppermint tea bags
• Garlic
• Vanilla extract
• Clove oil
• Guava leaves etc.

Most of these things, if used properly can help us get temporary relief in pain and help us get pain-free sleep at night.

Why Home Remedies can not Provide Permanent relief in Toothache?

Home remedies have been used traditionally for ages and have been passed on through generations in our family, but most of them provide only temporary pain relief. Let us understand why they can not provide permanent relief from toothache.

Mostly the Dental Pain is because of Decay in the tooth. When this decay extends to the innermost part of the tooth which is known as the pulp, the pulp gets inflamed and causes pain. Most of the time, we get acute pain in the teeth which is because the pulp is exposed, and it gets inflamed and tender. We take Home remedies and try pain medicines like diclofenac, Ketorol DT, etc for a few days and the pain is relieved. But you will be surprised to know that the relief is not because of the medicine but because the pulp gets necrosed in those few days and the pus is released which relieves the pressure and thus the pain.

You may feel no symptoms of tooth pain for days or months, but the dead pulp is still inside the tooth and it is constantly releasing pus. A lot of patients ask that they can not see any pus discharge or experience any other symptoms. It is because the amount of pus is very minimal roughly around 2-3 ml and an average person secretes 2 liters of saliva in a day, so the pus gets mixed with saliva. In a healthy person, antibodies present in saliva and gastric acidity kill the bacteria present in that pus.

But sometimes when you eat sticky food or a fruit with small seeds, then blocks the opening of the tooth from where the pus was getting discharged. The pus starts accumulating again and you start experiencing pain.

Role of Home Remedies:

1. Clove Oil for toothache: Clove oil is by far the safest option for Dental pain with minimum side effects. The precautions to be taken during the use of clove oil are:
   1. Clove Bud should not be used especially to insert it in the hole which you see in the tooth as it can block the path of drainage of pus. If you intend to use clove, take clove oil, apply it to a small piece of cotton, and place it in that hole.
   2. Clove oil is an irritant, so care should be taken that it doesn’t get applied on the tongue or cheek as it can cause ulcers in those areas.
2. Saltwater Rinses for toothache: They are a good option to use if the path for drainage of pus is open as it helps in the drainage of pus. If the opening in the tooth is blocked, then the pus starts accumulating, but since there is no way for it to drain out, it will result in swelling. Such a condition leads to space infection and in that case, you might require the services of a Specialist like an Oral Surgeon who might have to perform surgery and give incision for drainage of pus. So, Saltwater despite being a good option for toothache relief should not be used without the advice of a Registered Dental Practitioner who had a good chance to see that the path for drainage of pus is patent.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide for toothache: It is a very strong oxidizing agent that can cause severe inflammation if not used properly. It is used by dentists to remove Dead necrosis tissue from within your teeth in very high dilution. If it is not diluted properly, it can ulcerate your tongue, cheek, and all the soft tissue of the mouth. Sometimes the inflammation is so much that it might lead to trouble in respiration, so it is not advised to be used at home.
4. Cold Compression for toothache: The application of cold compression reduces blood circulation and helps in reducing inflammation. So, if your toothache has just started, then cold compression or cold-water rinses can be done to reduce inflammation. It is usually effective when used in the first incidence of Dental Pain and that too in the first 6 to 12 hours. After that period, the pulp starts getting necrosed and cold compression would not be of much help.
5. Peppermint for toothache: Peppermint has numbing properties like clove oil and up to a limited extent, it is a safe option for toothache. However, it is not very effective in acute toothache unless used in high concentrations. Frequent use of peppermint is not advised due to the potential side effects.
6. Tea Bags and alum (fitkari) for toothache: Tea Bags and alum are often used to relieve Dental Pain because tea contains tannin which has astringent properties. Similarly, alum is also astringent. They constrict blood flow to the inflamed nerve and reduce pain. They can be used for short-term emergency use, but long-term use is not advised as they can not stop the formation of pus.
7. Garlic for toothache: Allicin present in Garlic is believed to have antibacterial properties which is believed to relieve tooth pain. But garlic paste which is often used for pain relief from toothache can not go deep into the pulp tissue, so it might provide only temporary relief.
8. Nailpolish and Kerosene oil: I think we should not even think of putting them in the mouth as they are highly caustic and rapidly absorbed by the lung tissue as they release a lot of fumes which causes inflammation of the lung and may endanger life.

To summarize, home remedies are good for getting pain relief for a transient period extending from a few hours to overnight. But permanent relief will be obtained only when the cause of pain i.e. necrosed pulp is removed from the body.