Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse
As an alternative to salt water, rinse with a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Rinse thoroughly and spit it out. Don’t swallow hydrogen peroxide.
Over the Counter Pain Reliever
Dentists suggest acetaminophen for children. For adults, take your pick of over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen. If you choose aspirin, swallow it — don’t put it right on the tooth or your gums. That folk remedy doesn’t work and might harm cause more harm inside your mouth.
Cold Compress
If your face is swollen, put an ice pack on your cheek. It may help ease the pain, especially if you’ve chipped your tooth or knocked it loose. Swelling could also mean you have an abscess. This may lead to a serious infection in your jaw and other teeth. Signs include fever and red gums.
Over the Counter Anesthetics
Apply these pain-relieving gels and liquids directly to the sore tooth and nearby gums. They contain benzocaine, which will numb your mouth for a little while. But they’re meant for short-term use only.
This natural remedy numbs the pain. Rub it directly on the sore area, or soak a cotton ball and dab it against the tooth and gums. It may be as effective as benzocaine, the numbing ingredient in over-the-counter toothache gels.
Toothache Alternative Remedies
In addition to those standard options, there are some alternative remedies you could try. Most of them aren’t proven to work. And any home remedy might make it feel better for a while, but they won’t make your toothache go away.
Garlic
When you crush one of these cloves, you release allicin, an oily liquid, and a natural disease fighter. Will it ease the ache? That’s not clear. But you can try chewing a piece of garlic or placing chopped bits on your tooth. It’s safe to try.
With a name like that, this might seem a sure bet to ease your symptoms. Different types of this plant grow all over the world, and the oil is an ingredient in many products. But it’s not clear if this plant really eases dental pain.
Vanilla extract
Vanilla extract has alcohol in it. The alcohol will numb the pain for a while, and antioxidants in the vanilla may help it heal. Use your finger or a cotton ball to put a small amount on your aching tooth and gum.
Peppermint tea
A cooled peppermint tea bag may soothe your aching tooth and gums.
Traditional healing
In some parts of the world, traditional healers and herbalists use different parts of many other plants to help a toothache. It’s not clear how well they work. These include:
- Painted nettles
- Blue verbena
- Coconut shell
- Guava leaves
- Cola nuts
- Eucalyptus leaves
- Mango bark
- Pawpaw leaves
- Sweet potato
- Sunflower leaves
- Tobacco leaves