Toothache Remedies: 10 Natural Ways to Relieve Pain at Home

Toothaches are a nightmare. The pain from your tooth can even cause headaches, earaches, and cramps in your jaw. Toothaches are caused by irritated nerves that surround the tooth or are at the base of your tooth.

Cavities, infection, and an injury can all irritate tooth nerves and cause toothaches. While the sharp pain may make you want to run to your medicine cabinet, there are many natural toothache remedies you can try at home to temporarily relieve your tooth pain.

Once a tooth is in pain, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with your dentist — the earlier, the better. But you can use natural, at-home remedies to temporarily soothe your tooth pain until you have the chance for a dentist visit.

Here are 10 natural and effective home remedies for toothache relief:

Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse

Hydrogen peroxide rinses are among the most effective and popular toothache remedies. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful antimicrobial agent that kills bacteria and other harmful pathogens. Rinsing your mouth with a hydrogen peroxide solution will help kill bacteria that cause infection and reduce gum inflammation, bringing you toothache relief.

To make a hydrogen peroxide rinse, mix equal parts of 3% hydrogen peroxide with water. Use the solution like a mouthwash, swishing it around your mouth, and then spitting it out. Do not swallow the solution!

Hydrogen peroxide rinses are also an effective method for improving oral wellness. Frequent use of a mouthwash that contains hydrogen peroxide can keep your mouth clean and prevent canker sores and other wounds from developing or becoming infected. Other than cleaning your mouth with hydrogen peroxide rinses, you should also avoid foods that harm your teeth for optimal oral health.

Saltwater Rinse

A saltwater rinse is a natural and effective toothache remedy. Salt has antibacterial properties, as it sucks the water out of bacterial cells, causing the cell to collapse and die. Rinsing your mouth with saltwater will help kill bacteria and prevent an infection from spreading any further. 

For a saltwater rinse, dissolve half a teaspoon of table salt in eight ounces of warm water. Swish the salty solution around your mouth for 30 seconds, then spit out. The warm salt solution will help to disinfect your mouth, promote wound healing, and reduce inflammation, helping you relieve tooth pain.

Clove Oil

Clove oil is another natural remedy for toothache. Clove essential oil is a powerful antibacterial and analgesic substance, killing bacteria that cause infections and relieving your tooth pain. To reduce the severity of your toothache, massage a few drops of clove essential oil onto the gums below and surrounding the painful tooth. The clove oil will work to numb your toothache.

Garlic and Ginger Paste

Garlic has potent antibacterial properties. Combining ginger with garlic further enhances the garlic’s antimicrobial capabilities. Garlic can kill bacteria in your mouth and reduce inflammation, making it a practical remedy for toothache. To use garlic for soothing tooth pain, crush garlic and ginger into a paste, and rub the paste on the painful tooth and its surrounding gum.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract has alcohol in it. Alcohol can numb pain temporarily, making vanilla extract a good natural remedy for toothache. To use vanilla extract for toothache relief, soak a cotton ball with vanilla extract and rub the cotton ball onto the painful tooth and its surrounding gum. Do this a couple of times a day to get temporary pain relief in your tooth.

Thyme Essential Oil

Thyme essential oil is commonly used in traditional medicine for fighting infections, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain. Thyme oil’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it an excellent remedy for relieving tooth pain. Thyme oil is very potent on its own. For toothache relief, add a few drops of thyme oil to a carrier oil. Rub the diluted thyme oil on your tooth and gums. Repeat this process a few times a day to get temporary pain relief.

Ice Packs

Ice packs or cold compresses are another effective and natural toothache remedy. Ice packs work by decreasing blood flow to the pain site, reducing the inflammation that causes tooth pain. Ice packs also slow down nerve activity, helping you relieve tooth pain.

To use cold therapy for toothache relief, apply an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on the side of your face where you are experiencing a toothache. Hold the cold compress for at least 15 minutes. Repeat this process every few hours to numb your tooth pain.

Warm Compress

Just like cold therapy, heat therapy is also another natural method you can practice at home for toothache remedy. Heat dilates your blood vessels, which increases blood flow to the pain site. This increased blood flow promotes comfort and soothes pain at the site of application. Heat also activates your skin’s thermoreceptors, which partially inhibit your nerve cells from sending pain signals, relieving your tooth pain.

To use heat therapy for toothache relief, apply a warm cloth or heated pad on the side of your face where the painful tooth is located. Hold the warm compress for at least 15 minutes. Repeat this procedure every couple of hours to manage your tooth pain.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil has natural analgesic properties, making it an effective toothache remedy. Peppermint oil imparts a cooling and gentle numbing effect on the site of pain, bringing you toothache relief. To relieve your tooth pain, soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil. Rub the cotton ball on the gums below and surrounding the painful tooth. Repeat this procedure a couple of times a day to temporarily numb your toothache.

Liquor

Distilled liquor has antibacterial and numbing properties, making it a practical toothache remedy. To dull your tooth pain, rub whiskey, bourbon, or another strong liquor onto the site of your painful tooth. The alcohol in the liquor will help kill the bacteria that is causing inflammation, and numb your tooth pain.

Soothe Your Tooth and Call Your Dentist

The sharp, throbbing pain resulting from toothache is unbearable for many people. While you can take over-the-counter painkillers to relieve the pain, there is a lot you can do as an alternative to painkillers.

The natural methods specified can only provide temporary pain relief until you treat the underlying condition that is causing your tooth pain. Visit your dentist for a checkup so they can help you identify the problem and treat the condition to relieve your tooth pain for good.