A toothache is pain that may affect the teeth or jaws. It often may affect a combination of both the teeth and jaws. There are many different levels of pain that a toothache may cause someone to experience, ranging from very mild to very severe. A toothache may be a chronic problem, although it may also only affect you once for a short period of time.

Causes of Toothache

There are a number of different things which may cause you to experience toothache. Generally, the factors that contribute to toothache are all related to dental problems. They may include, but are not limited to: a dental abscess, gum disease, impaction, cavities, problems with the tooth root, or a cracked tooth. When you get these problems fixed, you will often find that your toothache will go away. If you are currently unable to have the problem fixed, you may feel hopeless about curing your pain due to a toothache. Keep in mind that there are other ways to relieve pain caused by a toothache, aside from taking pain killers.

Home Remedies for Toothache

Soak a cotton ball in clove oil and put it in the area where you are experiencing the pain. Leave it in your mouth as long as you feel the need to. Make sure that you do not do it while you sleep. If you are pregnant, diabetic or have a blood or kidney disorder, avoid this home remedy. Do this whenever you experience pain.

Apply a piece of raw onion to the tooth or area of the mouth that is experiencing the most pain. Leave it in as long as you deem necessary, but do not fall asleep with it in your mouth. Do this when you experience pain.

Put several pieces of ice into a plastic bag and use it as a cold compress for your mouth. Keep in mind that a frozen bag of vegetables, such as peas, may work out better. The reason is because they can conform to the shape of your mouth easier than ice cubes can and they are still cold enough to help provide relief. Do this several times daily.

Allow yourself to put a piece of ice in your mouth, next to the tooth. Make sure that you do not bite down on the ice, which may cause tooth chipping and further pain. You can do this several times daily.

Use a hot tea bag that you will press either against the tooth itself or outside the mouth. The heat should soothe the pain. Do this whenever you experience pain.

Apply about three to four drops of vanilla extract to the specific tooth or area of the mouth. This should help relieve your pain very quickly. Do this once to twice daily.

Put a dab of Vicks Vapor Rub outside on the area of the mouth that hurts. Do this when you experience pain.

Gargle with a salt water mixture. If it does not irritate your mouth, you may also want to gargle with Listerine or another antiseptic. A peroxide water mixture can also be tried out. You can gargle as much as you feel you can handle it.

Consider putting a cough drop that contains antiseptic into your mouth. It may relieve your pain.