Home remedies for toothache

Toothache plague everyone sooner or later. In order to bridge the time to going to the dentist, the following home remedies usually help very quickly and effectively, even if they do not replace a visit to the dentist.

What helps against 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 be enough until the inevitable visit to the dentist is due. Alcohol can also achieve good results: Any inflammation of the gums is disinfected, and there is a certain numbing effect if it is taken in high enough quantities. For children, "therapy" with alcohol is of course out of the question.

In general, pressure on the affected tooth regions should also be avoided. Since it is mostly the inflammation that causes the pain, toothache has a particularly severe effect at night: the warmth of the bed encourages 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 slightly numbing effect, but watery eyes can occur as a disadvantage.

Whatever the short-term therapy, a cure cannot be achieved with home remedies. Even if all toothaches disappear temporarily after a few days at the latest, a doctor should therefore be consulted.

Quick help

For acute toothache, as with any other form of inflammation, cold helps. Sucking an ice cube can be enough. Other cold foods (ice cream or chilled yoghurt) can also help, as can cold drinks.

Simply clear water is best for this. Cooling batteries from the freezer compartment, which are held in the right place on the cheek, can also significantly reduce toothache. Of course, the analgesic effect only lasts as long as there is cooling. However, ice cubes and similar products melt at some point - so replenishment should be provided.

Aspirin or ibuprofen in particular can help from the home medicine kit. However, it is important to understand that these remedies only relieve symptoms. There is no healing, which is why these drugs should not be taken over a long period of time. No matter what measures are taken, going to the dentist is inevitable in the long run.

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Alternative remedies

From the realm of herbal medicine, clove oil has a good effect on toothache of all kinds. The plant can either be taken directly between the teeth and chewed or given to the tooth as an oil. Clove oil has a numbing effect on the surrounding tissue and therefore helps with almost all forms of toothache.

The active ingredient can also be found in small doses in many toothpastes, and dentists also like to use the agent as a light anesthetic without side effects or after-effects. However, a little caution is advised with the dosage: clove oil burns on contact with the tongue and also in the throat. One or two drops should therefore be enough to make the toothache go away in the next moment. If the effect wears off, more clove oil can simply be used. In children it can also help to soak a cotton ball with a little oil and place it between the teeth.

Not a cure in the strict sense of the word, but still advisable: avoiding sweet or salty foods. Food is best eaten in the softest possible form, and hot meals should also be avoided. Cold foods are advisable in case of inflammation, pain-sensitive teeth, which cause problems due to the lower temperature, should of course not come into contact with ice and the like.