Three Herbal Remedies for Tooth Ache

What could be more miserable than a toothache – especially when you’re facing a long wait before you can get it taken care of? Fortunately, help is at hand. While persistent pain in the teeth or gums needs to be investigated by a dentist, dental discomfort can be temporarily relieved using some common herbs and spices that you may have at home. You’ll be surprised how effective these familiar plants can be at reducing your toothache until you can get professional care.

Cloves

Cloves are an amazingly effective remedy for all kinds of dental pain or discomfort. Cloves contain a natural anesthetic which numbs sensation; packing an aching tooth with ground clove can help soothe the pain.

Even better is food-grade clove oil. Just a drop or two of this fragrant oil on the affected area will quickly relieve aching and discomfort, while also killing germs; the oil can even penetrate cavities, allowing it to act directly on the nerves that are causing the pain. Clove oil is also helpful if you’ve lost a filling and need something to help with the discomfort until you can get it repaired.

Regularly chewing a whole clove is a great way to tame sensitive teeth; the sweet-smelling spice also helps keep your breath fresh and the antibacterial effect can help prevent gum disease.

Echinacea

We’ve all heard of echinacea’s wonderful immune system boosting powers but did you know that it can also help take care of your toothache? A few drops of a tincture of echinacea can rapidly relieve the pain of a tooth that’s acting up. Even better is the fresh root – if you happen to have echinacea growing in your garden, dig up a root and cut a little piece to chew on or press against the aching tooth. The effect of the fresh echinacea root is almost immediate.

Black Pepper

Ordinary black pepper is surprisingly good for soothing an aching tooth. Ground or powdered pepper can be mixed up into a paste with a few drops of water and packed against the troublesome tooth, where the active compounds work to temporarily deaden throbbing nerves. For an even more potent remedy, clove oil can be blended with pepper to make a paste and then packed or rubbed into the affected tooth.

To prevent further toothaches in the future, you can mix up a very effective tooth-powder using equal quantities of ground pepper and ordinary household salt. The salt has a mildly abrasive effect and helps to kill bacteria, while the pepper also fights infection and can relieve sensitivity in the teeth and gums.

Tooth Care

While effective herbal remedies are available for toothaches, prevention is always better than cure. A regular regime of brushing and flossing will help to prevent cavities from forming; regular trips to the dentist will take care of any existing cavities before they become a problem. Gum disease can also cause pain in the teeth – prevent this with regular brushing and a mild tea-tree rinse to kill the bacteria responsible.