How to Numb Tooth Pain

A toothache or severe tooth pain can be an excruciating experience. It can make it hard for you to focus or concentrate as you try to complete even the simplest of tasks. Don't despair. Natural remedies can dull or eliminate the pain completely.

Things You'll Need

• Saltwater
• Ice
• Alcohol
• Floss

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Instructions

• 1

  Swish saltwater in your mouth. The salt will help to dull the pain as well as drive the pus out of an abscess, according to Apple Valley, Wisconsin, dentist Dr. Dennis Simmons. Add the salt directly into warm water. Two tsp. of salt per 8 oz of water is a good ratio to start with. If the salt flavor is too strong or weak you can modify it to suit your preference. Stir the salt until it has dissolved, then fill your mouth with the saltwater solution and swish as thoroughly as you can with causing your ache further agitation. Repeating the saltwater process even after the ache has subsided will help keep the pain from returning.

• 2

  Apply ice to the cheek outside of the area that is giving you the discomfort. If you do not want to hold the ice cube in place as it melts, you can create an ice pack. Take a few ice cubes, put them in a baggy and wrap the bag lightly in a cloth. Place the bundle on your cheek applying enough pressure to feel the cold but not enough to cause more irritation or pain.

• 3

  Try using ginger. Cutting a small piece of ginger root and biting down on it with the painful tooth is another known method of alleviating toothache pain. Be sure to remove the skin of the ginger root before you bite into it in order for the juices to flow more easily.

• 4

  Try using a little bit of alcohol if you are of legal drinking age and are not planning to operate heavy machinery. This type of remedy can be applied in two ways. The first is by dipping a cloth into the alcohol, then placing it gently on to the gum of the tooth. The second involves taking a mouthful of it and swishing it around. Repeat as needed.

• 5

  Go to the drug store if none of the home remedies work. Over-the-counter products that contain benzocaine can help to numb your toothache. Also, you should be able to find clove oil, or eugenol, at the drug store. It is an oil that helps to kill the bacteria within a cavity. It should come with small cotton pellets for application, but if they aren't provided, you can use a cotton swab.

• 6

  Go to a doctor if your pain lasts longer than a day. This could be the sign of a much more serious problem.