By Jessica Rowe on January 8th, 2008
Toothache Relief
Have a bad toothache and need relief? Here are some easy ideas to help relieve the pain.
Toothaches always seem to appear on the days you can’t get into the dentist. What are you to do, just wait with your mouth in pain? Nope, not these days. There are many remedies that can be used to provide temporary relief to an achy tooth. Here are a few, to help you out.
- Wrapping ice in a towel and place on the outside of the mouth. The cold from the ice will help ease the pain of a toothache, by numbing the nerves around it.
- Clove is great for reducing pain and can also help reduce infection. You can use clove oil, directly on the bad tooth, or saturate a cotton ball and place it on the tooth. Another option is to chew on a few cloves, keep them near the affected tooth.
- Cut off a small piece of an onion and place in on the bad tooth. This often helps to relieve pain.
- If you have a clove of garlic and rock salt, you can place the two on the tooth in pain and it will relieve the pain. It may even help to cure the infection.
- While aspirin may work wonders, Advil, or Ibuprofen have more anti-inflammatory power and work better for a toothache. Just be sure to not to put them right on the tooth, it can cause a painful acid burn and the taste is bad.
- Salt and warm water also work great. Get a glass of warm water and mix two or three teaspoons of salt, and swish around your mouth, then spit it out. Do this a few times a day.
- If you are a smoker, try to stop or at least cut back. Nicotine in tobacco stops the endorphins that try and help the tooth, causing the tooth to get worse.
- Take care how you sleep. Try to sleep on your back or the side that the toothache is not on. When you sleep on your stomach, you head is pushed to one side, causing lots of pressure on the jaw, which can cause more pain for your tooth.
- What Grass can also be used to cure toothaches. Wheat grass juice can be used as a mouthwash for bad teeth, it can also be chewed with great results as well.
- Echinacea is a cold and flu remedy that has a long history of relieving a toothache. Echinacea root straight form the ground, is the best choice.
- Mix a few drops of tea tree oil in water to make a potent antibacterial. Swish the mixture around your mouth to give quick relief to tooth and gums.
- This is for adults only. A shot of whiskey, or even a drop of whiskey on an infected tooth, can provide some relief.
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Judy Sheldon-Walker | Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
Jessica, you have some good tips here. Thank you.
britt | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
the whiskey helped after the 9th shot
britt | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
i really liked the whiskey idea
britt | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
do you have any tips for a hangover
Jessie | Jul 3, 2008 | Reply
The onion, as wierd as it sounds actualy helped
Terrie | Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
Ohhhh my good god, i’m in so much pain !!!!!!
i am terrified ta go to the denist so i am stuck with this tooth ache, i could cry…
iys 4.35 and i have been up since 9 this morring and cant sleep everytime i drift off my tooth starts playing up
what can i do i stop this hell i am currently living ???
plz help xxx
Me | Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
Omg,,,I need some relief….My tooth is hurting and my b-day is in 2days…what can i do…..i am scared to death of a dentist…..can’t help it
they really frighten me..please help….
Kevin | Oct 28, 2008 | Reply
Why are you scared of the dentist? Nothing he does will hurt as bad as you do now. The only thing that scares me is the bill.
Mine | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
The wheat grass is kinda weird but worked…the wihskey actually worked…plus the onion thing that was kinda weird!!!! You have some great tips here thank you for all your help!!!
Rob | Nov 22, 2008 | Reply
Garlic Paste, just tried it and the pain was gone within just a minute or two
me!!!! | Nov 29, 2008 | Reply
My tooth was killing me…The onion thing really worked on me…The pain was gone like in one or two min…It was great..thaks for all the help…
Jared | Dec 28, 2008 | Reply
Whiskey really works if you just hold it in your mouth against the tooth thats bugging you… jack daniels
me | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
clove oil, brush your teeth then use mouthwash – preferably listerine (its goood ) cold water sometimes helps, codeine and ibuprofen mixed together, paracetomal – sometimes works depedning on how bad the pain is !
tariq | Jan 13, 2009 | Reply
whisky(alchohol) is bad, if it is prohibited in islam, then it cannot be good.(even to use as a medicine)
try this
3-4 type of toothpastes, then clove oil, and after that ibuprofen…if the pain still persists take the toothpaste and apply it around the tooth and keep it and dont wash it
In pain | Jan 13, 2009 | Reply
I’ve got a really bad toothache that is keeping me up. I knew some of these ways, and have been using them to try to fight off the pain. For those of you in my situation, another good one to add to the list is this: Eat something, preferably something crunchy. I know that sounds strange, but it has always worked for me, especially when I’m in a lot of pain. I think our bodies are programmed to not feel cuts from food and eating in general, and the nerves in the teeth react the same way.
Aghhh!! | Jan 14, 2009 | Reply
Haven’t slept in days – hate dentists – would rather die in pain!
jennifer | Feb 2, 2009 | Reply
my tooth is hurting bad. nothing i’ve done helped me! someone out there can help? tooth hurts……..
Ishmeet | Feb 9, 2009 | Reply
my tooth doesnt let me sleep talk run or listen without moving my mouth It Hurts……. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP
Kelly | Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
tooth aches hurt more than giving birth and you don’t get a baby after it…just a dead stinky tooth. Life isn’t fair sometimes.
Also I have been switching between tylenol and motrin every three hours, and three hours is when the pain starts getting unbearable. It wakes me up….but the pills do help enough to relax.
jim | Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
The ice pack works well. Swishing with alcohol such as vodka (over 21 years old only) works well; Listerine also does the trick. Best solution is to go to the Dentist, which is where I will go tomorrow (most will provide a sedative for folks that need it).
jim | Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
Warm salt water mixture works well (swish with a mixture of warm water and table salt).
hoodlum | Mar 24, 2009 | Reply
cocain works
Granny | Mar 29, 2009 | Reply
I love my dentists! going to them every 6 months has kept me pain free for 50 years!
pam | Apr 4, 2009 | Reply
My Son Is using a steeped Chamomile tea bag on the area for a wisdom tooth that is hurting. His appt. to have them removed is 2 weeks away hope he can hold out.
Morse | Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
i have tried many things, but man when it really starts hurting nohting helps…Vodka on the other hand did ease the pain, take a shot and rinse your mouth with it , and i suppose if it dosent help then just drink it XD after a few u wont care about your tooth anymore
hoodlum2 | Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
i agree… the coca extract in cocaine works.
same effect as novocaine
hoodlum2 | Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
whiskey did the trick.
ill be sticking to the whiskey until my dentist appointment
OUCH!OUCH!OUCH! | Apr 19, 2009 | Reply
Surprisingly enough, the Listerine worked best for me……for all of 20 minutes. The pain is so bad I cant even pinpoint exactly which tooth it is. I’m ready to grab my .38 and shoot it out if something doesn’t happen fast. Pray for me folks….
Goody2Shoes | Apr 22, 2009 | Reply
I agree with OUCH!, I can’t even pinpoint which tooth it is. The dentist’s secretary said this is normal because all of the nerves! Wow, I am in a lot of pain waiting to see him! I’ve been taking a mixture of 1/2 Vicodin (left over from an earache), X strengh Tylenol, aspirin, and icepacks! I feel like a zombie but it’s better than being in so much pain! Sleeping with my head propped up seems to help too. Good luck to all!
Goody2Shoes | Apr 23, 2009 | Reply
Try this, it really works!! Chew up a radish, yes a radish, but don’t swallow it. Instead, put it on your sore tooth with your tongue and hold it there. Or place it between your sore tooth and your cheek (like a tobacco chewer does). I could not believe how much this worked, instantly. I know it sounds crazy, but just try it! You will also be amazed, please believe me!!!
Wow | Apr 27, 2009 | Reply
I have tried many of the afore mentioned remidies. The mouthwash works (temporiarly) whiskey works, motrin, tylenol, icepacks they all work too…
I also put some cotton in my ear (the one on the same side as the sore tooth) and it helps block the air and somehow it feels better.
I am working on trying the onion suggestion. I have a broken molar! right in half vertically. And boy is this some intense pain. Seems to hurt more at night for some reason.
ReDhEaDeDnEsS | Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
for the person who said cocaine works,…..that is stupid, because i used to be addicted to cocaine, and COCAINE is the reason my teeth hurt! So Yeah,it works, not to relieve a toothache, it works to provide a toothache!!!
For those who hate the dentist, trust me, if your pain is that bad, the dentist will be your best friend when you leave!!
The onion works, the whiskey didn’t work for me, unfortunately all that happend was i got drunk and forgot that…….oh wait, guess it did work! lol
Main Point, Drugs DON”T WORK, and GO TO THE DENTIST!!!
Georgeewjkhrkhwekhewd | May 2, 2009 | Reply
I am 14 and my tooth and ear are both hurting at exactly the same time. What worked for me was to first have 2 panadol tablets(like nurofen in australia) then peel an onion and use one layer of the onion throughout the day by peeling little strips of the onion and placingit on the aching tooth and chewing it slowly untill is is all gone. when the strip of onion has been chewed peel another strip and continue this throughout the day untill the pain eventually stops. Then while you are doing this have an ice pack placed on the lower cheek of where the tooth is. And also have a peice of cotton in your ear to stop the air from entering it really helped. After doing this process for half a day my pain in my tooth and ear was gone. AMAZING.
Clarissa | May 6, 2009 | Reply
its 6.20 am and im about to try the onion so i can finally get some sleep!!! i feel like iam going to die!!!! this is the most crewlest pain ever!!!
oh my goodness im in pain! | May 7, 2009 | Reply
I’ve tried xtra strength tylenol, tylenol pm, alcohol, and just about everything else.. I pray that God gives me strength and please take away the pain…
jordan | May 9, 2009 | Reply
banana milk shake will cure your hangover…… it works wonderfully
bezza | May 20, 2009 | Reply
for the last 5 weeks, 840 hrs, ive been sufferin with two abscesses on two teeth. ive been to the dentist n she just gave me 2 lots of antibiotics, then before my next appointment, they came back, so i had a trip to the docs, who gave me another load of tablets. as well as these, i have been using co-codamol containing codine, morphine, oragel, bonjela, anbesol, and every mouthwash going including salt water, ive had very little sleep in these 5 weeks and still got no relief. the only solution now, is for me to use vodka, and along with the morphine i think i should be feelin no pain whatsoever. my next appointment with her should be june 2nd, but im gonna beg n plead for an appointment tomoz or i think there will be a death in my family. me! i wonder what i’d done wrong in a previous life, to witness such pain in this one, any ideas????????????
:[ | May 22, 2009 | Reply
A few months ago, I had an extremely badd toothache, went to the dentist & they put a crown over the tooth, than a couple weeks later the pain started to come back, only for a day, but than went away. Thann now for the past week, I’ve been in pain. I thought maybe it was becuase I chew gum all the time, but I don’t think it is… Well I’m not exactly sure, but I go to the dentist every 6 months, & my appointment won’t be until maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. but I want some sleep, so I think I’m going to try the onion one since I have no idea what a clove is & no access to whiskey or Vodka, & it seems like the simplest thing. It’s weird how I was in my room trying to sleep, & in crazy pain, & everytime I would get up to walk around it seemed to feel a tad bit better (but still extremely bad.) Okay going to try the onion now…
toothaches suck | May 23, 2009 | Reply
the other day my tooth started hurting a little bit then after a day or two it was excruciating i went to the dentist and they have me a antibiotic and Tylenol w/ codeine. Yeah it helps altiile but not entirely. What i do to help is take a drink of water and let it sit on your tooth. it usually helps for me. but i dont think i can survive another night
OHH..im in pain really bad...HELP ME.. | May 24, 2009 | Reply
i have really bad toothache and its not going away. i have tried the onion, the clove, the toothpaste and tylenol. all have not work for me. i am now down to ice and its making the pain going away but it still hurt and i can’t sleep. its now 2:40 am and im tired i need help and i dont want to go to the dentist because i don’t have money. it cost too much to go to the dentist… HELP ME..
tash | May 29, 2009 | Reply
im so glad im not the only one. im doing the ice pack, which is slightly working and just about to try the onion, i have never known pain like it, i have been sitting crying for the last five hours.
havinababyin dec | Jun 3, 2009 | Reply
in the same sitn…couldnt sleep for 2 days…did not go to work tday coz of lack of sleep and pain…i PRAYED and cried…feel a little better now and seeing the denstist at noon…scared of dentist and no money too but have to go coz i cant take just any medication for fear of harming baby
Leslie Jaimes | Jun 6, 2009 | Reply
I was in horrible pain five min. ago. I tried the onion thing reluctantly, but it totally worked! I feel way better. Thank you!!!!!!!!!
Tooth Sobber | Jun 8, 2009 | Reply
ohhh, ive tried EVERYTHING[besides the onion, ewwww]!!! The best so far is asprin – which can relieve me till I have to eat something! And the vodka, but for other reasons…lol. Not lol, I am at work, and this thing is killing me!!! YERRRRRRR. The clove, works for 5mins TOPS, but I havent tries BIcarb of soda, apparently that also helps..*sobbbbbbb*
in pain big time | Jun 8, 2009 | Reply
help in so much pain,was at dentist today got abbsess’s tried everything,clove oil loads pills im now sat rying the onion thing sounds weird but helping!!!!!
in pain big time | Jun 8, 2009 | Reply
well the onion thing only lasted a fews mins but will keep trying it,very hungry[finding it hard to eat] and i need sleep,must take more pills again soon!! will end up a junkie at this rate!!!!
me not like pain | Jun 18, 2009 | Reply
im sooooooooo sore, cant take it any more
Tony | Jun 19, 2009 | Reply
rinsing with Vodka and then some garlic salt helped a little this is just so irritating
v | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
this tooth is killing me ive been puttin it off for a while….my filling came out my tooth is decayed nd i dont wanna go to the dentist cuz my graduation is friday wat do i do???
STUCK IN THE WOODS | Jul 6, 2009 | Reply
Advil gel caps work fast. While you wait for them to work swish the warm salt water. Spit amd repeat. Try a ditraction. If that doesn’t work try rum with the advil but but don’t drink it. It will mess up your sleep unless you are an alchoholic. just don’t hurt yourself. You can take tylenol(no liquor) with ibuprophen for a good night sleep. Stay within the tylenol dosage. No more than 800mg of ibuprophen per DAY broken down 4 times(200mg x 4). Only for a short amount of time.
Don’t reply to my post because I will probably not read this again.
Witch doctor stuff is fun too. Read about it….
STUCK IN THE WOODS | Jul 6, 2009 | Reply
800 mg of ibuprophen per day only if you are an adult. I am 200lb. This is what the old Navy Corpman allowed us.
tony | Jul 7, 2009 | Reply
vicodin works the best
soon to be ded | Jul 7, 2009 | Reply
no money
no dentist
Listerene works while its on the teeth
clove oil works briefly
oragel doesn’t work at all any more
the whiskey never worked (crown royal)
my teeth are black spongy nubbs
my ear eyes and head are pounding
all the er will do is prescribe painkillers (no money)
I have no job
my screen is broken from a previous loss of temper
this is the end of my life
Help Me Plz | Jul 14, 2009 | Reply
I am in soooo much pain scared to try the Onion…. doesnt the Onion make you have bad breath? I am soo much in pain dont know what to do:(
nikki84 | Jul 23, 2009 | Reply
ibprofen and vodka are helping, but i dont think i can keep doing this, will the pain ever go away on it own? or am i stuck hurting if i dont always do this?
crazy pain | Jul 26, 2009 | Reply
..c c c .. it’l like hell everything when you’r in pain … the cotton in the ear help a little bit … i can imagine the pain ..the ear ..the head the eyes .. its frustrating
daniel broughton | Aug 3, 2009 | Reply
thank you x x
CornPipe | Aug 21, 2009 | Reply
I know how you all feel here. I went through so many different kinds of toothaches, even ones where I felt like ending my life. I had ones where I was in so much pain that I sat there crying all night.
I have no income, no Dentist, and no way of getting these rotten teeth out.
I am also scared of dentist and am now thinking that it may be the only way to feel great once again.
If you live in the USA I do know there is a program through welfare that is called TCMS and they help you by paying most of the dentist bill if not all and it is the only solution I see now that Medi-cal cut off dentist work for adults.
I say try signing up to TCMS and go that route to get to a dentist and get the tooth or teeth taken care of right away.
Heck I am going to do it after all now since I am now going through another tootheache and I decided this is it. It is coming out.
Mad pain | Aug 23, 2009 | Reply
Hey all. Doing the clove oil thing and its working really well. JUST for those who are afraid of the tooth monster(dentist ) find one that uses nitros oxide. This will help calm you while he does his job. Just consult with him first though.
A second thing is that if you are having pain in the back of your mouth, most often the jaw muscle tightens up. Try rub the jaw to relax the muscle. That will also relieve the ear ache that some mite experiance.
my back tooth broke in half and is pretty exposed. Going to see my No2 provider in 2days to get this dam thing pulled.
Brian Edlund | Aug 25, 2009 | Reply
I found out another remedy that helped me with another severe toothache that has been hurting like crazy the last few days.
I was suffering for 3 days with this blasted toothache and I decided to drink a hot cup of coffee with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of creamer. To my suprise the pain stop. I took a 600 mg Ibuprofen before the coffee and thought I was just clear for a short time but the pain did try to come back at least 5 times but I skipped the ibuprofen and drank another cup of coffee and the pain ceased everytime within 15 seconds or so and now it hasn’t come back and the tooth was pressure sensitive but not now.
I am shocked that hot coffee actually killed my toothache like that and quickly and also got rid of it now for the last day and a half.
May not work for everyone but give it a shot and see if it does and also let me know since I think coffee may have something that helps relief toothaches.
makinpaper | Aug 29, 2009 | Reply
the onion works and the cloves but try some vodka the nerve will die just give it time trust me. o and peanut butter anf garlic
IwantDentures | Aug 31, 2009 | Reply
have yet to try any of these, but i dip (chew fine tobacco). hadnt for about a week and once i did again, it seemed to releive the pain. not suggested as a remedy, especially to those who do not use nicotine. mouthwash persistently through the day is the best idea other than consulting the dentist. im like alot of you with no money for a dentist.. 2 side-by-side molars both in need of root canal/extraction. never bothered me for about 4 years til the past few weeks.
also, i did seem to notice how it gets worse at night, especially when i attempt to sleep. assuming its the leveling of blood in the body, concentrating on the weakest point, so propping your head up does help some. cotton in the ear helps as well, as the air in the room is naturally colder than your body, it feels extra sensitive.
i tried killing the nerves, but no luck. also tried pulling the teeth on my own, now ones far more painful as its lodged against the other from the twisting roots. i dont suggest this, too risky to leave the root tips impacted. the price of an oral surgeon makes the dentist look cheap.
but, as i said, i havent tried most of these tips, but being physical throughout the day and ignoring the pain does make it go away. go for a run while you cant sleep from the pain, good cardio, pain seizes, and you might be tired enough to fall asleep quickly before it comes back.
Dentists are a JOKE | Sep 16, 2009 | Reply
a glove of garlic and the rock saly worked great, crush up the salt and the clove of garlic and put on tooth did the job, no pain now for 15 minutes…only draw back is you smell like garlic bad…kinda taste good, burns the heck out of your cheek and gums but the pain is gone….thank god, damn rip off dentists, I am on disability and have maedi care and medi caid…hahahhaahhaah, what a joke, there isnt a dentist anywhere around here that takes my insurance, there all out for the god almighty dollar…..so i will suck on my garlic and rock salt….where is the compassion, i thought doctors took an oath to help people…yeah right, only in america folks!!!!
tim | Sep 25, 2009 | Reply
for those who are scared of the dentist think positive i use to be too but when he pulled my tooth I could have hugged him, The pain of him pulling it (didnt feel it) was much better then haveing the ache