Toothache plagues every person sooner or later. To bridge the time until going to the dentist, the following home remedies usually help very quickly and sustainably, even if they do not replace a visit to the dentist.
What helps against toothache?
Clove oil causes a numbing effect on the surrounding tissue of the aching tooth and therefore helps very well with toothache. Home remedies for toothache come in numerous forms. These include various oils – such as clove or tea tree oil – as well as chamomile tea or very simple medicines. Ibuprofen, for example, usually helps after a few minutes and should suffice until the inevitable trip to the dentist is due. Alcohol can also produce good results: Any existing inflammation of the gums is disinfected, and there is also a certain anesthetic effect when taken in sufficient amounts. For children, of course, “therapy” with alcohol is out of the question. In general, pressure on the affected tooth regions should also be avoided. Since it is usually inflammation that causes the pain, toothache also has a particularly severe effect at night: the warmth of the bed promotes the spread of the inflammation. Lying on a cold towel or a cold pack from the freezer can help you fall asleep. Alternatively, an onion can be crushed and placed in a towel, which is then placed between the pillow and the cheek. The oils from the onion have a mild anesthetic effect, but as a drawback, it can cause watery eyes. Whatever the short-term therapy: A cure cannot be achieved by home remedies. Even if without exception all toothaches disappear temporarily after a few days at the latest, a doctor should therefore be consulted.
Quick help
In acute toothache, as with any other form of inflammation, cold helps. Thus, it may already be sufficient to suck an ice cube. Other cold foods (ice or chilled yogurt) can also provide relief, as can cold drinks. Clear water is best suited for this purpose. Cooling accumulators from the freezer, which are held to the right place on the cheek, can also significantly reduce toothache. Of course, the pain-relieving effect only lasts as long as cooling is present. However, ice cubes and similar remedies melt at some point – so supplies should be available. Aspirin or ibuprofen in particular can help from the home medicine cabinet. However, it is important to understand that these remedies only relieve the symptoms. A cure does not take place, which is why these drugs should not be taken over a longer period of time. No matter what measures are taken: Going to the dentist is unavoidable in the long run.
Alternative remedies
From the realm of herbal medicine, clove oil achieves a good effect on toothache of any kind. The plant can either be taken directly between the teeth and chewed, or given as an oil to the tooth. Clove oil causes a numbing effect on the surrounding tissue and therefore helps with just about all forms of toothache. The active ingredient can also be found in small doses in many toothpastes, and dentists also like to use the remedy as a mild anesthetic without side or after effects. However, a little caution is advised when it comes to dosage: Clove oil burns on contact with the tongue and also in the throat. One to two drops should therefore be quite sufficient to make the toothache disappear in the next moment. When the effect wears off, more clove oil can simply be used. For children, it can also help to soak a cotton ball with a little oil and place it between the teeth. Not a remedy in the true sense of the word, but still advisable: avoiding sweet or salty foods. Food is best taken in as soft a form as possible, and hot meals should also be avoided. Cold foods are advisable in the case of inflammation; pain-sensitive teeth, which cause problems precisely because of the lower temperature, should of course not come into contact with ice and the like.
