As a dentist, I typically don’t go to Google to get information about dental problems, but I know that a lot of people do – particularly in the middle of the night or when their dentist’s office is closed. One day I decided to find out what w actually comes up on the internet when people search for toothache remedies. So I did some Google searches myself. What I discovered is most of the advice is for home remedies for toothaches. Some I was familiar with, some I wasn’t.
The majority of the home remedies I found online are not what I typically recommend to my patients. But I was curious if any of them actually work. So, I did some research (mainly to dispel some of the myths) and to my surprise, some of them actually make sense scientifically.
Here’s the list, my opinion on each, and some NYC humor to go along with it:
Common Home Remedies for Toothache
1. ASPIRIN
Many people believe that a good way to relieve tooth pain is to place an aspirin on the gum of the affected tooth. Don’t do it! Aspirin is acidic and will burn your gums. You’d be surprised by how many people I have seen over the years who tried it and caused harm to their soft tissue.
Note: If you had a headache, would you put an aspirin on your forehead? Swallow the aspirin.
2. GARLIC
In addition to using it to ward off vampires, garlic also has medicinal value. When garlic is crushed or finely chopped two chemicals that join to form allicin, which has antibiotic properties and can offer a bit of pain relief. If you try this, make sure you crush the garlic and be aware that it can be irritating to your gums, so put it only in the cavity in the affected tooth.
Note: Garlic powder is not a substitute for fresh garlic. (It’s great on pizza, though.)
3. ONION
A lot of the websites I found tell you to put a piece of raw onion on the affected tooth. Because onion has antimicrobial properties it may provide a slight bit of tooth pain relief.
Note: This is not good for one’s social life.
4. CLOVES
Oil of cloves, also known as eugenol, has both antimicrobial and pain relieving properties and is a common ingredient in many dental products. Here’s how to use it to relieve tooth pain: mix 2-3 drops with olive or cooking oil and saturate a piece of cotton with the mixture. Place the cotton directly into the cavity of the affected tooth. Place a piece of dry cotton over the tooth and bite down. You can also grind or crush whole cloves with a few drops of cooking oil for the same effect.
Note: You might get some relief, but you’ll smell like the holiday ham. (I can think of worse smells.)
5. BOURBON OR WHISKEY
The alcohol in bourbon and whiskey is both an antiseptic and an astringent. Some of my patients believe they get pain relief from swishing it around in their mouths. However, any pain relief they perceive is likely due to the irritating effects of the alcohol on their gums districting their brain from the pain signals coming from the tooth.
Note: You’re better off drinking the booze. (Neat – not on the rocks because cold aggravates painful teeth.)
6. WARM SALT WATER
Warm salt water is one of the most recommended and most effective ways of soothing a toothache. Here’s how to use it: place 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. of salt in 8 ounces of very warm (not hot) water. Swish the mixture around in your mouth, then spit it out. The salt water will draw fluid away from the tissues of the affected area and reduce pressure on your nerve endings.
Note: Eating salty potato chips will not have the same effect.
7. BAY BERRY BARK AND VINEGAR
I found quite a bit on the web that recommends mixing bay berry bark and vinegar into a thick paste and applying it onto the hurting tooth as a home remedy for toothache. I’ll give this one an honorable mention.
Disclaimer: I have no idea what bay berries are.
And there you have it – a review of the most commonly recommended home remedies for tooth pain you can find on the web.
But Remember!
A toothache is a horrible experience and ALWAYS signals that something is wrong. When left untreated it can lead to serious health problems beyond just your affected tooth. So, if you’re in pain or have swelling in or around your mouth, you must contact a dentist as soon as possible. Even if your toothache goes away, the problem that caused it will not.
At my office, when a patient calls with an emergency when the office is closed, they will get my personal cell number (so help is literally a phone call away.) I usually tell them to drink a big glass of straight bourbon and call it a night (kidding).
For more remedies for toothache pain, check out my article: 5 Ways to Get Relief for a Toothache
Dr. Michael Sinkin is a general dentist in New York City. He loves being a dentist and is known throughout the city for taking wonderful care of his patients and for his wicked sense of humor. For more about Dr. Sinkin, click here.
68 Responses
Thanks for the response. On another note, I had a different tooth pulled about a 1½ yrs ago, the dentist fought to have me save it but I couldn’t afford to at the time so I decided to have it pulled and get a bridge or implant in the future. He cut my tooth into pieces and pulled the roots out in sections leaving a bunch of splinters behind, I still have some splinters, how would I go about getting them out of my gums? I can feel them shifting in my gums which is uncomfortable but bearable and on occasion I rub over it with slight pressure til I feel a piece break through and I can pull it out with tweezers, I’m seeing a new dentist next week but the previous one claimed he didn’t see any pieces on xray or visual exam and sort of brushed me off. I know it shouldn’t take this long to expel splinters, is there something I can request from the new dentist to get rid of them?
Would like to know your opinion on swishing with peroxide, I’ve dine this in the past for gum infection and it cleared it up well. I use 3% peroxide mixed half and half with water and within 5 minutes my toothache is dulled to the point I barely notice it. My wisdom tooth went bad fast, within 6 months after it first cut through it just started crumbling so the back half of it is gone and now the nerve is bothering me. Just waiting for my appointment to have it pulled next week but was wondering if swishing peroxide is a good or bad idea.
Dear Nikki,
In as much as you have made arrangements to have your wisdom tooth problem appropriately addressed, the home remedy of rinsing with a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide is probably ok. Long-term use of a peroxide rinse is not something I would recommend and in fact, I would discourage as it can dry the tissue of the mouth and disturb the normal pH (acidity). Overuse of Hydrogen peroxide can also disrupt the delicate balance of healthy bacteria that resides in the oral cavity. I recommend that my patients rinse with warm salt water which has a soothing effect. Feel better and good luck with your treatment.
Dr Sinkin
I stumbled upon your website and I’m glad I did. It is very nice to have a dentist to ask a question to.
I am 50 and I have only some front teeth no back teeth left.I can barely afford to pay my bills as it is. I don’t know what to do anymore. I live in Texas. I have dental insurance but I don’t have enough money to do the work that I need I think I need dentures or partials. Just venting thanks for listening.
Dear Esther,
I am so sorry for your travails.
Since you have dental insurance, you may want to call your insurance carrier and see if they have participating dentists that will accept your insurance.
Might I suggest that you seek out a dental school or teaching hospital with a dental residency program. You may find affordable care there and they can help you with your insurance claim.
We also found a list that may help you: http://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/texas_free_dental_clinics.html
And, another option is a third party lending institution such as Care Credit (http://www.carecredit.com/) that offer loans for dental care with attractive rates and a variety of terms. I wish you the best, don’t give up hope.
Dr. Sinkin
I guess I’d be a rare case … I’m allergic to most medicines n locals. I’ve called a few oral surgeons in my area it’ll cost over $1200 to pull one tooth n I can’t afford that. Nor have I been to the dentist in 20 yrs cuz the last one almost killed me with novacaine Yay me. Wanted to say thank you for your garlic remedies. After 6 days of salt water it worked the pain has lowered in intensity…. ty
Dear Barbara,
I am glad you found relief from a more unconventional remedy. That said, you really need to see a dentist before you develop an infection. It is not uncommon for people to have allergies/sensitivity to medications, local anesthetics are no exception. Fortunately, there are many local anesthetics available. Some people are allergic to the preservative in the anesthetic solution. Some people are sensitive (not allergic) to the epinephrine in some formulations which can yield palpitations. ou should find a dentist who can listen to your past experiences and come up with a treatment approach. Novacaine has not been used in dentistry for many many years, but it is a term commonly used for local anesthetics (much like Kleenex is a term used for a tissue). I believe a reasonable treatment approach is possible with necessarily involving general anesthesia.
Dr Sinkin
I went to the dentist about a year ago to get a filling. about a month ago the tooth that I had fixed came out in pieces. What is the cause of this? Is it normal for this to happen, or is it a mistake made by the dentist. I see a new dentist Tuesday for pain from that tooth, because I’m terrified to go back to the original doc. Also, is tooth whitening toothpaste bad if you have bad teeth that need repairing?
Dear Danielle,
No, it is not normal for a tooth to crumble like that, but I have no way of knowing the condition your tooth was in when it was last treated. Why don’t we wait to see what your new dentist thinks. Good luck today.
Dr. Sinkin
I am 6months pregnant and have such severe pain that I can’t eat or sleep. Saw my dentist today and have to wait two weeks to have a cavity filled because of inflammation in my gums from periodontal disease. I tried Tylenol with absolutely no pain relief. What can I do? I have to eat and sleep for the health of my baby but cannot because I’m in so much pain.
Dear Jennifer,
You are in quite a predicament, but something sounds amiss. I understand why your dentist might not be able to place a “permanent” filling in your tooth if your gums,are so inflamed. But, there is much that can be done in the way of dental treatment that can give you relief. I suggest you call your dentist back and tell him that the pain has worsened and you need help. If it’s your tooth hurting, a medicated filling or possibly root canal (if the nerve is exposed or “infected”) can be relief. If your gums are the cause of your pain, then a different course of treatment may be warranted, such as a a deep cleaning and possible antibiotic therapy.
That you are six months pregnant is all the more reason to have the problem addressed sooner than later. As an aside, untreated gum disease is not desirable in any circumstance, especially during pregnancy and it has been correlated to low birth weight. If your dentist doesn’t respond to your request for care, I would seek out a second opinion. There is no home remedy I can offer aside from Tylenol and warm salt water rinses.
Good luck and please let me know how you make out.
Dr Sinkin
Hello doctor thank you for answering our questions 🙂 my questions are, I’ve been told all of my back molars have severely “hooked roots” and dentists refuse to work on my teeth, they say I need a speacialist, why is that 🙁 and also a friend of mine told me to start oil pulling, what are your thoughts on that. Thanks again Dr.
Dear Christina,
It’s not exactly clear to me why dentists refuse to treat your molars unless you are in need of extractions or root canal treatment. Root formation continues for about two years after the tooth first erupts through the gums. It is not uncommon for the roots to curve or deviate from a straight line, especially if forces are applied to the tooth as occurs during orthodontic treatment. Teeth with severely curved roots can be challenging to treat if they need to be removed. That’s the difference between a simple extraction and a more involved surgical extraction which might be more easily performed by an oral surgeon. Root canal treatment can be more complicated in a severely curved root and special techniques are utilized to negotiate the tortuous path to the root tip. A root canal specialist has more experience with these more challenging situations. Certainly in these situations if your dentist feels that you would be better served by the hands of a specialist, he/she is exercising good clinical judgement.
Oil pulling is a topic for another day.
Dr Sinkin
Hey doc, I have been in unbearable agonizing pain in the right side of my mouth and unable to get to a dentist. Nothing works at all!! Any suggestions! O have tried everything!
Dear Tabytha,
I don’t have any magic words to offer you. If you are on that much pain, you need professional care and not some stop gap home remedy. Please see a dentist ASAP. Good luck.
Dr Sinkin
Hey Doc… My Filling came out a while ago didnt bother me…but not the past few day it’s been killing me and also giving me a headache.. what to do
Hey Buck,
Sounds like it’s time to make a phone call to a dentist. Fillings generally don’t just fall out unless you were chewing something gooey like taffy or a jolly rancher. You may have had a cavity underneath which destabilizedc and undermined the restoration. If this was the case the decay process may have continued. It will not get better by itself and will likely worsen. You don’t want to develop an abcess. So please seek out a dentist for care.
Best wishes.
Dr. Sinkin
Hello, I’m 24 female I have a broken tooth that is completely gone well, two actually. One on the top left side of my mouth and the bottom right side. Both molars. I am unable to afford a dentist as are others that I have asked for loans. I have tried to go to clinics to go on a sliding scale but unfortunately I “make to much money” to get a proper disscount.. this pain is absolutely killing me to the point where I want to go to the e.r… do you have any tips for me please.. I’ve taken 4 800mlg ibuprofen and nothing has worked, not any of your rememdies. 🙁
Dear Catie,
I am so sorry for your troubles. At 24, you are at a possible dental crossroads of sorts. 2 broken teeth and possibly other as yet undiagnosed unknown dental problems lying in the lurch. You need a good, conscientious dentist to relieve your pain -even as a stopgap measures to alleviate your pain. Dental first-aid-not necessarily definitive treatment like root canal or extraction to give you relief from pain and time to l figure out a way towards dental health. Such emergency dental care will not break the bank and should be of modest cost.
An emergency room is not the best place to solve your problem. Besides, the cost of an emergency room visit is far in excess of what the cost should be to deal with your current situation. (Whether you personally pay the E.R., your medical insurance pays or the hospital absorbs the cost if you’re uninsured and passes it onto everyone else.) And the likelihood is all you will get from the hospital is pain medication and possibly antibiotics to treat your symptoms and not solve your actual dental problems.
As I said before, at 24 you could be at a critical point which depending on your course of action can have significant impact on your dental future. Seek out a dentist who can help you with your problem and can offer some guidance. Ask your physician and anyone else you know who can make a recommendation of a good dentist who will be willing to help you. Good luck.
Dr. Sinkin
I have a broken tooth in the back of my mouth at the top. And it got my gums hurting to. It’s only one my left side. Do you think aspirin will help and do you think baby orajel will help until I get to the dentist? What can I do?
Dear Tasha,
I suspect that this is not your first dental emergency. Taking aspirin or any of the NSAID (like ibuprofen, Advil, Alleve) assuming you have no sensitivities to such medications or tylenol will help with the pain. Orajel can help the gums if they’re irritated but not if you have an access forming- in which case you need an antibiotic. You need to see a dentist and hopefully he can save your lone left tooth from the same I’ll fate its neighbors suffered.
Dear Dr. Sinkin: I am writing to ask how I can get through two weeks with a cracked tooth in the top of my mouth. I cracked it while eating almonds and unfortunately there is a sharp point of tooth pushing into my cheek. It is particularly painful at night when I am sleeping. My dentist is away for two weeks. Many thanks for any hints you can give me. Julia
Dear Julia,
My first question is whether your dentist has someone covering his emergencies…2 weeks is a long time not to have contingencies.
If sufficient tooth remains, get some Dentemp from the pharmacy. Dentemp is a putty-like temporary filling that can fill the void. Good luck to you.
Dr. Sinkin
You are right about the aspirin, somebody told me to put one on my gums around the tooth and it burned my gums up, no wonder they say drink plenty of water after taking an aspirin. I get the chewable baby aspirin now, lot milder.
As I said, you don’t put an aspirin on your forehead if you have a headache.
I’m begging for a pro bono dentist. I have had 2 broken off teeth in the back of my mouth for years. They hurt for 4-5 days periodically but in the last few weeks the pain has became so intense I cant stand it. I’ve had the role on the floor and cry pain. Thats just the beginning. this pain is more like its been hurting for 2 weeks straight not subsiding. I took 8 Vicodin 10/325’s all broken in half the other day barely touched the pain. It did knock me out though. I’m 24 white male i have a son and wife. please one of you dentists rip these devils out of my face. Have mercy.
I have no doubt that your pain is real and I’m sorry for your suffering. Dental schools and hospital-based dental residency programs offer dental care for a very modest fee. You owe it to yourself, and your health, to do so. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips! I found this to be informative as well as comical. Hilarious!
Although i still have this annoying toothache your humor has made me feel better!
* golf ball…. editors nite off too, on a roll….
Oh- my mouth does look like there’s a golf call- yeah very attractive, very painful~!!
Salt water mom always had us do that- booze Ok that may help…. Garlic, onions not so much. I know I need this tooth pulled- hopefully this week a UW Dental school (their great, – cheaper- no insurance- & low on funds). I could sit in the ER for hours for a little relief- we’ll see how the night goes. I don’t- I have a regular dentist right now. I wish there were call in Dental ER’s – lol something, I’ve been married faster. —- So I didn’t have to sit in the reg ER for 6 – 8 hours…. It would be so cool to have a couple of pain pills called into Walgreens until I get to the dentist tomorrow- Tues at the very latest …. Just random venting – thanks doc~!!