17 Easy Home Remedies for Toothache Relief

Tooth decay is the most common cause of toothache. However, it is not the only cause for tooth pain. A tooth fracture, damaged filling, infected gums, abscessed tooth (infection with pain at the root of a tooth or in between the gum and a tooth), all can give you toothache. Sometimes, when you do repetitive motions with your mouth such as when you chew gum or grind teeth then also you may suffer from tooth ache. The central region or pulp of the tooth has several highly sensitive nerve endings. The reasons mentioned above can make this pulp inflamed or irritated and this leads to toothache. So, how to get rid of a toothache? There are many common ingredients right at home that can give you relief from toothache. While you adopt one or the other toothache remedy, you must be aware that no remedy is equivalent to a visit to your dentist. If the causes of your toothache are not properly identified or treated, this may lead to dental infections. Its spread should be prevented so that other parts of your face and skull and even your bloodstream doesn’t get infected.

Home Remedies for Toothache Relief

1. Ice Pack for Toothache Relief

Ice pack is a known remedy for swollen body parts and the swollen nerves of your tooth’s pulp are no different. When you apply an ice pack to your inflamed tooth and surrounding gums, it helps numb these nerves and gums giving you relief from toothache.

Get this:
• Ice cubes or ice pack
• Towel or a clean cloth

Do this:
• Place the ice cubes or the ice pack onto the cloth or towel and wrap it.
• Now hold this against your cheek close to the area of aching tooth.
• Keep it there for a few minutes and then remove the pack. Repeat if necessary.
• If you have exposed tooth nerve, this remedy can in fact cause more pain. So be careful and examine your aching tooth area well before using this toothache remedy.

Easy Tip: As you know acupressure says that each and every nerve has endings in our palms and feet, you may well treat those points specific to the teeth. For this, rub some ice on the are between your thumb and index finger.

2. Salt Water for Toothache Relief

Salt, the most common ingredient found in your kitchen can become one of the best toothache remedies. Salt pulls out fluid from the inflamed tissue of tooth and gums to reduce swelling as well as pain. Salt also combats bacteria that may lead to tooth infection.

Get this:
• Common salt- ½ – 1 tsp
• Warm water- 1 glass

Do this:
• Mix the salt with the glass of warm water.
• Take some in your mouth and gently swirl it all around your mouth.
• Spit out and repeat for a many times as may give you comfort.

3. Cayenne Pepper for Toothache Relief

The Capsaicin in cayenne pepper has strong pain-relieving properties. Capsaicin makes the nerve endings release a chemical called substance P which manipulates the pain signals to and from the brain. This makes you feel no pain! In fact, you get a sensation of warmth or extreme heat when you apply hot peppers to any part of your body. When you do this to your aching tooth and gums, you will feel worse for a minute and then your pain will subside.

Ways to Use Cayenne Pepper for Toothache

1. Apply a few grains of cayenne pepper to your affected tooth
2. Make a paste by mixing some water to the pepper and then apply this to your tooth.

Precaution: Don’t use this remedy for toothache in kids. They may not handle the hot peppers.

4. Black Pepper for Toothache Relief

Black pepper has the component piperine. Piperine is a chemical similar to capsaicin found in hot peppers. Thus, it also helps reduce pain by triggering transient receptor receptors in the body that respond to relieve pain. In fact, piperine extracted from black pepper is also used with emollients and other natural ingredients to make analgesic creams for pain relief, some of which are also meant for toothache.

Get this:
Equal amounts of:
• Black pepper powder
• Salt
• Water- to make paste

Do this:
• Mix black pepper and salt.
• Add a little water to make a paste.
• Apply this paste to your tooth and gums.
• Leave for few minutes before rinsing mouth.
• Repeat several times a day.

Easy Tip: get a few drops of black pepper essential oil and rub this on your tooth and gum. You may even mix some salt with this oil before rubbing it on your tooth.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar for Toothache Relief

The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of apple cider vinegar comes to your help when it is about getting rid of toothache. The acetic acid and mallic acid in ACV help purify and detoxify the infected region of your body. Pectin in apple cider vinegar helps pull out toxins and move them out of your system. It also restores normal pH level of your mouth to combat bacteria.

Get this:
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Cotton Ball

Do this:
• Soak the cotton ball in apple cider vinegar.
• Hold this cotton ball against your affected tooth and gums for few minutes.
• Repeat 3-4 times a day.

Easy tip: If you can’t get ACV right at home, take the simple vinegar and soak your cotton ball in it. If it feels too strong, dilute it with some water and then use it to get relief from toothache.

6. Raw Potato for Toothache Relief

Raw potato has a cooling effect that can give fast relief from swelling. In fact, potato is one of the oldest folk remedies for pain relief. You can use this property of potato to get relief from toothache too. The anti inflammatory properties of potato will absorb excess moisture and cure inflammation that may be the cause behind your toothache.

Ways to Use Potato for Toothache Relief

1. Peel and slice a potato. Take such a piece of potato and hold it against the aching tooth for sometime.
2. You may also grate the potato and crush it to get its paste. Mix some salt (even pepper, if you like), and rub the paste on your affected tooth and surrounding gums.

7. Lemon for Toothache Relief

Lemon or lime juice have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. Composed of many beneficial components including citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene, this wonder juicy thing not only promotes immunity but also fights infection effectively. Pectin, like in apple cider vinegar pulls out the toxins out of your irritating site of pain. Lime juice also has strong alkaline effect against excessive acid that may lead to pain. Drinking lemon juice daily, in fact, keeps you away from all kinds of pain and not only toothache.

Ways to Use Lemon Juice for Toothache

1. Take 1 tsp of lemon juice and add some salt to this. Rub it on your aching tooth and gums. Repeat 3-4 times a day.
2. Take a cup of warm water and squeeze a lemon into it. Mix the juice well in the warm water. Wash your mouth by swirling around this water.
3. Take few drops of lemon essential oil and rub it on aching tooth and surrounding areas. You may also dilute it with some other oil like olive oil.
4. To keep off all types of pains, drink a glass of warm water with lemon juice taken from 1 lemon or lime. Have it 2-3 times if you experience severe pain otherwise once a day is enough.

8. Peppermint Oil for Toothache Relief

Peppermint oil has strong antibacterial and antiviral properties along with mild anesthetic properties that make it a good toothache remedy. The menthol component of peppermint also helps reduce inflammation and related pain.

Ways to Use Peppermint Oil for Toothache

1. Take a cotton ball and soak it in some peppermint oil for a couple of minutes. Dab it on the aching tooth to get rid of tooth pain.
2. Use peppermint oil in form of mouthwash. To do this, mix some oil with little water and rinse your mouth with it.

Easy Tip: If you can’t lay hands on peppermint oil but have some peppermint leaves lying at home, just wash them and chew some of them. It has all the properties that peppermint oil has. After all, the oil is derived from leaves and other parts of the plant only!

9. Clove and Its Oil for Toothache Relief

The spice herb clove has got excellent anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxidant and anesthetic properties that may get you rid of tooth pain in no time. Clove oil also contains Eugenol which lends it its anti-bacterial and analgesic effects for toothache relief. You can either use clove or clove oil to get rid of a toothache. Here’s how.

Ways to Use Clove for Toothache Relief

1. Pour some clove oil on a cotton ball and dab it on the affected tooth.
2. Mix a few drops of clove oil with little water to make the very effective clove oil mouthwash and rinse your mouth with this.
3. Add 2-3 drops of pure clove oil to ¼ teaspoon of olive oil. Pour this on a cotton ball and apply to affected tooth.
4. If no clove oil is available, just grab a whole clove bud from your kitchen shelf and chew it with the teeth surrounding the aching teeth. Grind it gently so that the juice starts oozing out from the clove and comes in contact with your aching mouth area. Leave the chewed lot there in your mouth for good 20-30 minutes. Your mouth may also feel numb but pain will sure be relieved.

10. Tea Tree Oil for Toothache Relief

Talking about oils for toothache relief, how can tea tree oil be left out! It has strong anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that not only combats tooth infection and swelling but also kills the bacteria that have penetrated deep inside the roots of your decayed tooth.

Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil for Toothache

1. Pour few drops of the tea tree oil on a cotton swab and apply this to your tooth.
2. If too strong, dilute it with some olive oil and then apply.
3. If you can’t stand it even now, add few drops of the oil to some water and rinse your mouth with this. Remember to brush your teeth before you wash your mouth with this preparation.

11. Tea for Toothache Relief

Along with all its catechins and other antioxidants, tea also has tannic acid in it. Tannic acid, also called tannins are a kind of astringent. Astringents can contain bleeding and help heal wounds. These tannins thus help relieve swelling and pain resulting from a wounded tooth. You can either use normal tea leaves or tea bags or even green tea.

Ways to Use Tea for Toothache

1. Steep a tsp of tea leaves in warm water. Soak a cotton ball in this warm tea and apply this to your painful tooth area.
2. You can also use this warm tea as a mouthwash to rinse your mouth. Just strain the leaves out before doing so.
3. If you don’t want to do so much of work, just dip a tea bag in warm water for few minutes and then take out this bag. Squeeze it a little to drain off the excessive tea and then hold the tea bag against your aching tooth and gums. You may even try to bite the tea bag to release the tea.

12. Plantain for Toothache Relief

Plantain has excellent detoxifying properties. When applied to wounds, it pulls out pus, dirt and even shards of glass, slivers, etc. While all these may not present in your aching tooth, pus and dirt could sure be there. Plantain also promotes healing cell growth to bring you back to normalcy fast.

How to Use Plantain Leaf for Toothache

• Chew up a fresh plantain leaf.
• However, if your pain is unbearable and you can’t even chew, crush the leaf with the help of mortar and pestle or some similar equipment.
• Apply the chewed or crushed leaf paste to your affected tooth and surrounding areas and hold it there for sometime, for about half an our or so. This will draw out infectious materials and relieve the tooth pain

13. Baking Soda for Toothache Relief

Baking soda effectively balances pH levels of your body and thus makes it difficult for bacteria to thrive in there. Therefore, if bacterial infection is behind your toothache, baking soda can give you instant relief from pain.

How to Use baking Soda As Toothache Remedy

Get this:

• Baking soda- 1 tsp
• Salt, preferably sea salt- ½ tsp
• Water- to make paste

Do this:

• Mix baking soda and salt.
• Add a little water to the mixture to get a paste.
• Rub this paste on your affected tooth and gums. In fact, you can rub it on all your teeth just like you do with toothpaste.
• Keep rubbing gently for 10-15 minutes.
• Do this once or twice a day.
• This will not only get you rid of pain but also will whiten your teeth by removing any plaque etc.

14. Bayberry for Toothache Relief

Bayberry root bark is considered to be a natural antibiotic. This herb has high amounts of tannins and flavonoids. Bayberry also has fine astringent properties due to presence of tannins in it. All these properties of bayberry bark has made it a favorite of herbalists to treat various medical conditions including toothache. Not only is it a good remedy for tooth pain but also strengthens gums due to the presence of various nutritious components including high levels of vitamin C.

Ways to Use bayberry for Toothache

1. Make a paste with the help of bayberry bark. You may use a little water if needed. Mix this paste with some vinegar. Apply the paste on your tooth for relief from pain.
2. If you can’t make paste out of bayberry bark, just get easily available bayberry root bark tincture. Mix it with some vinegar and apply to the aching teeth.

15. Vanilla Extract for Toothache Relief

Home remedies for toothache won’t get completed if it doesn’t talk about vanilla extract, one of the very old cures for toothache. High on antioxidants, Vanilla extract numbs the affected area to give you soothing relief from pain. This may be due to the small concentration of alcohol in vanilla extract. The aroma of vanilla also helps relieve pain due to its calming effect.

How to Use Vanilla Extract for Toothache

1. Take some vanilla extract on your finger tip and rub the aching area with this.
2. You may also soak a cotton swab in vanilla extract and rub it on your aching tooth.
3. If rubbing gives you more pain, just dab the cotton swab a little on the tooth and then leave it there for few minutes to work upon the damaged area.

16. Neem for Toothache Relief

This is an age old Indian folk remedy which uses neem or margosa, also called Indian lilac. In fact, Ayurveda uses neem for a variety of teeth and gum diseases including pyorrhea and gingivitis. There are numerous pain-relieving compounds present in neem leaves and bark that reduce pain and discomfort of a toothache. Vasodilation and anti-inflammatory properties of neem reduce the pressure on nerves that may lead to toothache. Not only this, neem also fights off any bacterial infection as it has strong anti-bacterial properties too. This prevents and cures tooth decay, one of the major causes of toothache. Neem also prevents cell adhesion which helps control plaque. Due to all these properties, neem has become popular as a herbal ingredient used widely in dental care products like mouthwash, toothpaste etc.

How to use Neem for Toothache

• Chew some tender neem leaves to get rid of toothache. Neem leaves are very bitter but tender ones are not so bitter. However, if you can’t chew them, do as follows.
• Crush the neem leaves to get its paste. Add this to your regular toothpaste and rub this on your tooth. Do this for few minutes before washing off.
• Boil a handful of neem leaves in a glass of water for about 10-15 minutes. Let it cool down till it becomes tolerably warm. Strain and use it as a mouthwash.
• Rub neem oil to your affected tooth and gums.

17. Homemade Essential Oils Toothpaste for Toothache Relief

If you usually suffer from toothache and oral problems, you need to be extra cautious and take some good measures to not only relieve toothache but also to prevent it from occurring now and then. While clove, peppermint and tea tree oils do relieve toothache excellently as we had discussed earlier, there are many other essential oils that do wonders for your oral health. These include Myrrh oil, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Melaleuca, and Rosemary oils. You can make mouthwash with these oil by mixing few drops with some water or rub them on your affected tooth, undiluted or diluted with some olive or other oil. What if you make a toothpaste with these or some other essential oils that may get you rid of tooth pain and also prevent toothache! Here’s the recipe for you.

How to Make Essential Oils Toothpaste for Toothache at Home

Get this:

• Baking soda- 6 tsp
• Salt- 1/3 tsp
• Glycerin- 4 tsp
• Peppermint oil- 10 drops
• Lemon oil- 3 drops
• Tea tree oil- 2 drops
• Birch oil- 3 drops

Do this:

• Mix all the ingredients.
• Rub them on your teeth and gum just like you do with your regular toothpaste.
• Brush with this mixture daily for 5-10 minutes. Twice if possible and required.
• You may store the rest of it in a small glass bottle and use it later on.

All the above home remedies for toothache are effective and will give you relief from pain but you must understand that toothache remedies are only for temporary toothache relief and it is of utmost importance to find out and treat the underlying causes of toothache. If your toothache comes and goes often, you need to see your dentist soon.