Herbs for Toothaches

All of us have been plagued with a toothache now and again. Although there is no substitution for routine visits to a dentist and proper dental hygiene, there are temporary measures you can take to ease the throbbing pain until a dental visit can be arranged. Herbs have been used for centuries as astringents, antibacterials and analgesics for treating toothaches without pharmaceuticals.

Herbal Astringents

• Herbal astringents are first in line when it comes to combating a minor toothache, as they help shrink swollen gums. Germany's equivalent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Commission E, recommends oil of clove as an astringent as well as a local anesthetic. Oil of clove contains the antiseptic chemical eugenol. Another double-duty herb for toothaches is willow tincture, an alcoholic solution containing low concentrations of the active ingredients of the herb.

  Garden sage and white sage may be used as a mouthwash. Mix one teaspoon of the herb with 100 ml of water. Additionally, myrhh gum, native to Africa and best known as one of the gifts the Three Wise Men presented to the baby Jesus, can be used as a mouthwash or as a powder directly applied to the tooth to relieve sore gums.

Antibacterial Herbs

• Antibacterial herbs help to fight infections. Botanicals that contain berberine, such as goldenthread, goldenseal and Oregon grape root, seem to have a calming effect on toothache infections. One teaspoon of tincture taken three times a day, held in the mouth for two minutes, then swallowed, may be beneficial until a dentist can be seen.

Analgesics for Pain

• Many analgesic herbs are safe and effective for temporary use on a tooth with throbbing pain. Ginger, cow parsnip seed and rhubarb tinctures may help alleviate minor toothache pain, if the problem is near the surface. Barks of white willow, oak and poplar contain salicylates, aspirin-like chemicals that can relieve pain. Red pepper, also endowed with salicylates, is an old folk remedy for toothaches, and although it may burn initially, can be applied directly to the tooth.

  The bark or berries of zanthoxylum americanum, also known as the toothache tree, can be chewed or made into a tea. Willow contains salicin, a relative of aspirin, and may be chewed then placed on the affected tooth, or simply used in a tea or tincture.

  Chinese herbalists have used sesame as a toothache remedy since the fourth century. Boil down one part sesame seed with two parts water until half the liquid is left. The resulting decoction may be applied directly to the tooth.

Warnings

• Pregnant women should not take myrrh. Anyone who has a reaction to aspirin should not take herbs containing salicylates or salicin. An abscessed tooth requires immediate attention by a professional.