Toothache Home Remedies: What Works and What Hurts Skip to main content Menu Toothache & Tooth Pain Home Medical Reference Slideshows & Images Oral Care Home News Reference Slideshows Quizzes Videos Oral Care Guide Teeth and Gums Other Oral Problems Dental Care Basics Treatments & Surgery Resources & Tools Related to Oral Care Bad Breath Dry Mouth Healthy Mouth Evaluator Mouth Sores Orthodontics Signs of Gum Disease Teeth Grinding Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) Tooth Decay More Related Topics Oral CareReference Menu Toothache Home Remedies Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors Medically Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on July 31, 2020 In this Article Toothache Alternative Remedies When to See a Dentist Follow Up Your head pounds, your gums throb, and your mouth is sore and tender. You’ve got a toothache. See your dentist ASAP. In the meantime, use these home remedies to get short-term relief. Saltwater rinse Until you can get to the dentist, one of the best things you can do is swish warm, salty water around in your mouth. A good mix is half a teaspoon of table salt to 8 ounces of water. Spit it out, don’t swallow it. You can also gently floss around the sore tooth to remove any bits of food that may be stuck. Hydrogen peroxide rinse As an alternative to saltwater, rinse with a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Rinse thoroughly and spit it out. Don’t swallow hydrogen peroxide. OTC pain relievers Dentists suggest acetaminophen for children. For adults, take your pick of over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen. If you choose aspirin, swallow it -- don’t put it right on the tooth or your gums. That folk remedy doesn’t work and might harm the inside of your mouth. Cold compress If your face is swollen, put an ice pack on your cheek for the first 24-36 hours. It may help ease the pain, especially if you’ve chipped your tooth or knocked it loose. Swelling could also mean you have an abscess, a sac of pus and gunk deep in the roots of your tooth. This can cause serious infection in your jaw and other teeth. Signs include fever and red gums. OTC anesthetics Apply these pain-relieving gels and liquids directly to the sore tooth and nearby gums. They contain benzocaine, which will numb your mouth for a little while. But they’re meant for short-term use only. Ice Put some ice in your hand, on the same side of the body as your sore tooth. Rub the ice in the space between your thumb and forefinger for 7 minutes, or until the area turns numb. Why does it work? Researchers believe ice stops pain signals to your brain. Clove oil This natural remedy numbs the pain. Rub it directly on the sore area, or soak a cotton ball and dab it against the tooth and gums. It may be as effective as benzocaine, the numbing ingredient in over-the-counter toothache gels. Toothache Alternative Remedies In addition to those standard options, there are some alternative remedies you could try. Most of them aren’t proven to work. And any home remedy might make it feel better for a while, but they won’t make your toothache go away. Garlic When you crush one of these cloves, you release allicin, an oily liquid and natural disease fighter. Will it ease the ache? That’s not clear. But you can try chewing a piece of garlic or placing chopped bits on your tooth. It’s safe to try. Toothache plant With a name like that, this might seem a sure bet to ease your symptoms. Different types of this plant grow all over the world, and the oil is an ingredient in many products. But it’s not clear if this plant really eases dental pain. Vanilla extract Vanilla extract has alcohol in it. The alcohol will numb the pain for a while, and antioxidants in the vanilla may help it heal. Use your finger or a cotton ball to put a small amount on your aching tooth and gum. Peppermint tea A cooled peppermint tea bag may soothe your aching tooth and gums. Traditional healing In some parts of the world, traditional healers and herbalists use different parts of many other plants to help a toothache. It’s not clear how well they work. These include:Painted nettlesBlue verbenaCoconut shellGuava leavesCola nutsEucalyptus leavesMango barkPawpaw leavesSweet potatoSunflower leavesTobacco leaves When to See a Dentist See a dentist if:You have any pain. Even short-lived pain can mean a dental problem that needs attention.You have jaw pain along with a popping or clicking noise; this could signal temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). Follow Up If you seek dental care:The dentist will look at your teeth and may take an X-ray to diagnose the origin of the pain and make treatment recommendations.If there are signs of infection, the dentist may prescribe an antibiotic.Treatment for TMJ may include a mouth guard to prevent tooth grinding, stress-reduction techniques, or surgery. Top Picks At-Home Tooth Whitening: What Works? What Is a Waterpik? What to Expect at a Dentist Visit What's Causing Your Jaw Pain? [ss_icon]15 Tooth Problems: Cavities, Stained Teeth, Hyperdontia and More Do You Need a Root Canal? further reading What Causes Sensitive Teeth? Slideshow: What Causes Sensitive Teeth? An Overview of Toothaches Controlling Anxiety and Pain at the Dentist's Office An Overview of Toothaches What Can You Do About Sensitive Teeth? Toothache Treatment Toothache & Tooth Pain Topics Today on WebMD Tongue Problems Sores, discoloration, bumps and more. Get Whiter Teeth 10 secrets to a brighter smile. 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