Herbal Remedies for an Infected Tooth

A tooth infection is either referred to as a periapical abscess, which occurs from within the tooth pulp, or a periodontal abscess, which occurs from the surrounding tissues and bones. According to curetoothdecay.com, tooth infections occur from bacteria or from a foreign substances entering the tooth from an internal or external source. Herbal remedies are available to remove the infection and relieve the aching and swelling.

Use Tea

• For a tooth that has just begun to throb and swell, myhomeremedies.com suggests the oldest remedy for a tooth infection and pain, which is placing a dry tea bag over your infected tooth for a couple hours. The tea bag will help draw out the infection before it worsens. It doesn’t matter what type of tea you use, but green tea is an anti-inflammatory. Drinking green tea, or swishing it around your mouth, can also help relieve the pain.

Place Herbs on Tooth

• Other herbs that you can place directly on the infection for a couple hours include papaya, which is a natural anti-inflammatory; garlic cloves; guava leaves; Echinacea root; or clove oil, which will prevent tooth decay and soothe the pain, according to henriettesherbal.com. Because clove oil is toxic, you need to wash your mouth out with water afterward.

Gargle with Herbs

• Gargling allows whatever is causing the infection to be washed out of the mouth, and it helps soothe the pain. Gargle with warm salt water, which according to paradisenow.net, pulls the bacteria out of the tooth and kills it on contact. Other gargling options include mixing hydrogen peroxide or potassium carbonate with water, both which kill bacteria. Also try vanilla extract, or gin and vodka, which all contain alcohol. This is a surefire way to kill bacteria fast.