For a variety of reasons, you could one day get a toothache. It isn't necessarily a cavity, but whenever your teeth hurt, you should see your dentist to determine the cause. Sometimes you can't get to the dentist right away, yet that doesn’t stop the pain. So, what can you do if your teeth hurt and you can’t see your dentist?

Way to Reduce the Pain of a Toothache

Fortunately, there are several ways to kill the pain of a toothache before you can get to the dentist. The traditional and easiest method, because you likely have the ingredients in your house, is to gargle with warm salt water. Just mix a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm or hot water and rinse your mouth with it. You may have to repeat this several times but it works, and the ingredients are easy to obtain even if you aren’t at home.

The next thing to try is volatile oils. Several oils have anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce the pain. You can either mix a couple drops of the oil with water and rinse, or you can put some oil on the head of a Q-Tip and apply it directly to the offending tooth. Sunflower, sesame, oregano, nutmeg, clove and tea tree oil can all be used for this preparation.

Then there are leaves and roots. Certain plants have anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to kill the pain of a toothache. Plantain and peppermint leaves can be used for a toothache as can garlic and ginger root. If you use leaves, chew on them a bit to release the volatile oils, then hold the leaves over the sore area. You can also drink peppermint tea.

If you go the root route, with ginger, you just have to chew on a piece of the fresh root. To use garlic, crush it into a paste and apply it to the sore tooth. Pain relief should be forthcoming. If you have any questions, or if you would like to learn more, please call us today at (206) 623-7783.