A toothache can be an excruciating experience, especially if it happens at night and you cannot do something about it immediately, like going to a dentist. Toothache affects the whole upper portion of your body, and you have symptoms like pounding head, sore mouth, and throbbing gums. You can feel helpless in such a situation unless you have a few emergency tips and tricks to do at home to manage the pain and be able to sleep at night. Here we will analyze some of the top things you can do when you have a terrible toothache.

Things to Do While Having a Toothache

Before you are in a position to see your dentist (which you must do at the earliest opportunity), few home remedies can keep the pain minimum and soothe the gum irritations.

• Saltwater rinse – Till you can get to a dentist, the easiest and the best thing to do is to swish around warm and salty water in your mouth. Mix around half a teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water. Once you swish, do not swallow it but spit it out. It is the first-line treatment that is quite effective in reducing pain. You could also gently floss around the affected tooth so that you can remove any food debris. Warm salt water is also suitable for reducing inflammation and healing oral wounds.
• Rinse with hydrogen peroxide – You could also use an alternative rinse to mix equal portions of water and hydrogen peroxide. Rinse thoroughly and then spit out the mix, do not swallow it. Hydrogen peroxide can reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, remove plaque, and heal gum bleeding.
• Try OTC medicines – If the pain still does not recede, you could try some OTC medicines like ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc. you can also apply some numbing pastes and gels (mainly containing benzocaine) to the affected tooth. A word of caution, benzocaine should not be given to infants or kids.
• Cold compress – You could keep a cold compress on your cheek to relieve the pain. It helps a lot if some trauma has resulted in toothache. By applying a cold compress, the blood vessels in that area get constricted, which lessens the severity of pain. Cold compress is also suitable for reducing inflammation and swelling.
• Clove oil – Clove oil can numb the pain to some extent. You could either apply it directly or use a cotton swab dipped in the clove oil and then dab it on your tooth and gum. Clove oil could be as effective as benzocaine.
• Peppermint tea bags – Peppermint tea bags can effectively numb pain and give a soothing effect to sensitive gums. You should use a used teabag for this method. When it is only slightly warm, then you can apply it to the affected area. You could also use a cold tea bag approach, in which case you should put the teabag in the freezer for a couple of minutes before applying it.

The remedies suggested here are for unbearable pain when you cannot see the dentist soon enough. If the toothache persists, it is vital to see your dentist as it could indicate a more grave tooth problem.

Book an Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.