Home Remedies to Reduce Tooth Ache Until you Can See Your Dentist

One of the worst experiences is waking up in the middle of the night with severe tooth ache. For some reason it never happens when the dental practices are open and you have to sit in agony until the clock strikes 9am to get on the phone and make your emergency dental appointment.

There are a few home remedies you can take advantage of, using items you already have sitting in your kitchen cupboard. While these will numb or reduce the pain, they are not long term solutions, but they may be able to offer some temporary relief until you can make and visit your dentist first thing in the morning.

Clove Oil

Clove oil may not be something you would normally keep in the cupboard, but it is definitely worth while investing in some. You can pick up a small bottle of clove oil at your local pharmacy. Use a cotton bud and dip it in the oil and then place it directly on the tooth that is giving you grief. Try not to get this on your lips or gums and be aware, it is going to taste awful. The benefit though is that you are going to find that within half an hour the pain will start to subside and that can provide relief for a short period.

Salt Water

Salt is a wonderful product to have in the home and not just to add flavour to your food. Salt has antiseptic properties and when mixed with warm water can easily be swirled around the problematic tooth. Add one teaspoon of sugar to some warm water and mix thoroughly, then swish it around your mouth, this will remove debris, reduce swelling and help relieve some of the pain caused by swelling until you can get in to see your dentist.

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint Tea may taste amazing, but what you may not know is that it has numbing effects. Make your tea and allow to draw and cool, then swish it around the problematic tooth. The tea will numb the area and give some temporary relief.

Ginger and Cayenne paste

Mixing these two spices together in a small bowl and then adding a drop or two of water to make a paste can help reduce tooth pain and enable you to relax until you can get in to your dentist. Dip a cotton bud into the paste and hold it directly on the tooth, while trying not to get it on your gums, tongue or lips.

About Tariq Drabu

Tariq Drabu is a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon. This Manchester born and educated dentist was one of the youngest dentists to graduate in the United Kingdom. He has worked at some of the busiest hospitals in the UK and Saudi Arabia and completed his Fellowship in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is the owner of the very successful Langley Dental Practice and is also the Clinical Lead Dentist for the Oral Surgery Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services at NHS Heywood Middleton and Rochdale. Tariq Drabu also teaches and mentors postgraduate dentists in oral surgery at the UCLAN Dental Clinic in Preston.

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