Rinse
Take a mouthful of tepid water and rinse vigorously several times a day, says Jerry F. Taintor, DDS. If your toothache is caused by trapped food, a thorough rinse may dislodge the problem.
Leave It Alone
When your tooth hurts, it’s tempting to keep checking to see exactly how much it hurts. But stop picking at it. “This means keeping things like toothpicks out of the cavity where one exists. Even keeping your tongue out of the area is helpful,” says Taintor. You already have a problem; don’t add to it! MORE: 12 Things Your Dentist Knows About You Just By Looking In Your Mouth
Floss Gently
If swishing doesn’t work, try to pry a small bit of food like a popcorn hull from between your teeth by flossing, says Taintor. Hold the floss firmly or use a floss threader that you can get from most pharmacies if you have trouble manipulating the floss with you fingers. Use an easy sawing motion. Be gentle, but deliberate, says W. Brian Powley, DDS. Your gums are likely to be sore.
Rinse With Salty Water
After each meal and at bedtime, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to an 8-ounce glass of tepid water, says Taintor. Hold each mouthful; roll it around your mouth. Spit.
Try A Hand Massage
Wrap a thin cloth around an ice cube and rub into the fleshy V-shaped area where the thumb and forefinger meet. Gently hold the ice on the area for 5 to 7 minutes. Amazingly, this technique can ease toothache pain. In one study, ice massage eased toothaches in 60 to 90% of the people who tried it. It works by sending rubbing impulses along the nerve pathways that the toothache pain would normally travel. Because the pathways can carry only one signal at a time, the rubbing impulse outweighs the pain.
Use Oil Of Cloves
People have been using this remedy for many years. Drop a little directly onto the tooth, or dab a little on a cotton ball and pack it next to the problem tooth. Oil of cloves helps calm the inflamed nerves of the pulp of the tooth, explains John C. Moon, DDS.
Don’t Bite
If the toothache is caused by a bruise because you bit something hard, try not to use that area when you eat. If nothing is damaged, resting the tooth may ease the ache and allow it to heal on its own, says Moon.
Ice It
Treat the problem as you would treat a bruise with ice. As with bruises, ice decreases the inflammation that is causing the pain, says Moon. Place ice in a small ziplock bag, seal it, wrap a thin cloth around it, and put it on the aching tooth or the adjacent cheek for 15-minute intervals at least three or four times a day.
Keep Your Mouth Shut
If cold air moving past the tooth is a problem, just shut off the flow. But don’t clench your teeth. Some toothaches happen because your bite isn’t quite right. In this case, avoid shutting your mouth as much as possible until the dentist can take a look.
Swallow Aspirin
Don’t believe that old-time remedy of placing an aspirin directly on the aching gum. This can cause an aspirin burn, says Taintor. On the other hand, you can take an aspirin every 4 to 6 hours for pain relief. Extra-strength Tylenol and ibuprofen will work just as well; the pain should start to subside in half an hour or so. MORE: 15 Things Dentists Never Do
Numb The Pain
For temporary relief, try a topical desensitizer. “Try over-the-counter benzocaine products such as Anbesol or Orajel,” says Moon.
Be Gentle To Tooth Sensitivity
If you can’t even touch the tooth, that’s an ache. But if the tooth is merely reacting to heat or cold, then it’s a problem with sensitivity. More than 40 million Americans have “dentinal hypersensitivity,” and it begins when the dentin underneath the tooth enamel becomes exposed—usually at the gumline. Sensitivity can also occur from tiny cracks in the tooth, says Moon. Age, receding gums, surgery, and overzealous brushing with harsh toothpastes and hard brushes can expose dentin. Sometimes plaque attacks the tooth enamel and exposes the dentin. If you’re noticing sensitivity for the first time, it makes good sense to see your dentist to make sure you have no other problem. “Your dentist may recommend a prescription fluoride toothpaste (five times the fluoride strength of over-the-counter toothpastes) or a preparation containing amorphous calcium phosphate,” says Powley. MORE: 5 Surprising Ways You’re Seriously Hurting Your Teeth
When It’s Time To Visit The Dentist
A toothache can be a symptom of a wide range of problems. The pulp of your tooth or the gums around your throbbing cuspid could be infected. There could be decay in a molar. You may have a cracked bicuspid. An injury, a piece of food caught between two teeth, or even a sinus problem may be at the root of your pain, says Taintor. The bottom line? If you have tooth pain, it’s important to find out why. See a dentist whenever you have a toothache, even if the pain subsides. If you have an abscessed tooth, it may go into a state of dormancy and seem to be causing no problem, but don’t be fooled, warns Taintor. “It’s just waiting to come back with a vengeance.” The next time, it might be much worse.
Panel Of Advisors
John C. Moon, DDS, is a cosmetic and general dentist in Half Moon Bay, California. W. Brian Powley, DDS, is a dentist in private practice in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Jerry F. Taintor, DDS, is a dentist in private practice in Memphis, Tennessee, the former chair of endodontics at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in Memphis, and the former chair of endodontics at the UCLA School of Dentistry. He is author of The Complete Guide to Better Dental Care.
