5 Easy and Proven Ways to Relieve Tooth Pain at Home

What’s the first thing you should do when you have a bad toothache? Call your dentist as soon as possible! Even if your discomfort is mild, a toothache is often considered a dental emergency. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. A toothache could be due to any number of dental problems, like a cavity, a damaged filling, a fracture, or an infection in the tooth or gums. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to call your dentist so that they can quickly relieve your pain. While you wait for your appointment, here are five easy and proven ways to minimize discomfort at home.

1. Applying a Cold Compress

Take an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables and wrap a piece of cloth around it. Hold it to your cheek for ten minutes on and then ten minutes off. Repeating this process for up to an hour at a time can mitigate swelling as well as pain.

2. Taking an Anti-Inflammatory

Ibuprofen is widely considered the best over-the-counter pain reliever for toothaches. It temporarily blocks your brain from receiving the pain signals your mouth is giving off. Be sure to take it every few hours as directed on the label.

3. Rinsing with Saltwater

Dissolve about half a teaspoon of salt into an eight-ounce glass of water. Swishing this solution around in your mouth a few times a day can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and keep your mouth clean. Just make sure you don’t accidentally swallow the saltwater.

4. Using a Hot Pack

Holding a hot pack to the side of your face for a few minutes can prevent pain signals from reaching your brain. If you don’t have a hot pack, you can make one easily. Fill a clean sock with rice and tie off the end. Then, heat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and hold it to your face.

5. Trying Peppermint Teabags

Peppermint teabags have mild numbing properties that can temporarily soothe oral pain when applied directly to the area that hurts. While many people like to cool their teabag first by putting it in the freezer for a few minutes, you could also use it while it’s still warm. Both options create a pleasant sensation that can take your mind off of your toothache.

Using one or more of these remedies is a great way to tide you over until you get to your dentist’s office. From there, they can determine the exact cause of your toothache and develop a treatment plan to get you out of pain quickly.

About the Practice

At Martinez Dentistry in Alexandria, IN, we offer same-day appointments for patients who call us with a dental emergency. Dr. Corey Martinez and Dr. Jordan Jenkins are both skilled in a wide variety of emergency dentistry treatments, including root canal therapy and tooth extractions. If you have a terrible toothache, we’d be more than happy to relieve your pain. To get started, visit our website or call us at (765) 724-7729.