Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that everyone gets during early adulthood, from 17 to 25 years old. Those teeth can be handy to have – providing they’re healthy and grow properly. As many of us will know, they’re prone to misalignment and often have to be extracted.
If the pain from a wisdom tooth gets too severe, you should visit your dentist to seek medical help. But if your wisdom teeth are growing properly, you might find relief with these quick and effective home remedies.
1. Warm Salt Water Rinse
This remedy is often recommended by dentists themselves as an option for short-term relief until your appointment. Not only is it one of the most effective ways to relieve your wisdom tooth pain, it’s also one of the easiest.
Pour about eight ounces of warm water into a glass and stir in two tablespoons of salt until it’s completely dissolved. Rinse with the water for twelve seconds, or as long as you can stand the salty taste, and then spit it out. Repeat the process every few hours and you’ll begin experiencing pain relief.
A salt water mouth rinse can reduce dental bacteria because it temporarily increases the pH balance of your mouth and creates an alkaline environment that bacteria struggle to survive in.
2. Apply Ice
If your wisdom tooth pain is the result of swelling, applying an ice pack may be a help. You can just use a commercial ice pack or put some ice is a plastic bag, wrap it in a towel and apply it to the swollen area. This should relieve some of the pain and help the inflammation go down.
Cold numbs the affected area, which can reduce pain and tenderness. Cold can also reduce swelling and inflammation.
3. Clove Oil
You’ve probably only heard of clove if you do a lot of home cooking from scratch, but when it comes to wisdom tooth pain, it may be the best-kept secret for relief. It’s one of the only home remedies that packs a one-two punch. Clove oil contains a chemical called Eugenol, which acts as an anaesthetic and antibacterial agent. Clove oil is anti-inflammatory and antifungal.
To apply clove oil to treat toothache, take some clove oil and put it on a cotton ball or cotton swab and wipe directly on the gums immediately surrounding the tooth. For some people, the flavour of clove oil is too strong. If you find this to be the case, mix it with a little bit of olive oil. This dilutes the clove oil, making it milder. Repeat this treatment several times per day on an as needed basis.
4. Onion
Onion is the remedy that undoubtedly sounds the strangest, but it’s one of the most reliable as well. Onions are actually used as a home remedy to relieve pain and inflammation associated with other conditions and diseases, like arthritis. It only makes sense that you can use the same method for wisdom tooth pain. Onion is effective because it contains phytochemicals that target the germs responsible for the infection, giving you a much-needed break from the pain.
The one thing slightly off-putting about this remedy is the fact that you have to chew on a raw onion. Making this worse is the fact that the more pungent the onion is, the better the pain relief will be. Mild onions, like the sweet onion, will provide relief, but you’ll find a much better result using red or yellow onions.
At the first sign of pain in your tooth, cut off a piece of onion and chew it on the side of your mouth that is in pain. This allows the juice from the onion to get inside your tooth. If you find that the pain is too intense to chew, you can use your finger to hold the piece of onion directly against the painful tooth and gums.
5. Tea Bags
If your wisdom tooth pain is the result of swollen gums around the infected area, tea bags are an excellent remedy. Tea is used in a lot of home remedies thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties found in tannic acid.
The most effective way to use tea bags to treat your pain is to brew a cup of tea and put the cup in the refrigerator, leaving the tea bag inside the cup. Once it’s nice and cold, take the bag and place it inside your mouth, directly over the hurting gum. This will help reduce the swelling and bring pain relief almost instantly.
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