Sensitive Teeth
Sensitive teeth can be painful when eating or drinking items that are hot/cold, sweet or sour; brushing and flossing may cause discomfort, and depending on where you live, breathing in extremely cold air can cause pain. Some reasons that your teeth may cause discomfort can be:
- Too much brushing or brushing too hard. It is possible to wear the enamel off or damage the gum and expose the nerve
- A cracked or chipped tooth could fill with bacteria causing inflammation
- Grinding or clenching your teeth can wear the enamel away
- Gum disease eventually leads to cavities and can lead to an infection, at times possibly attacking the tooth roots or causing the gum line to recede
- Tooth whitening with products using baking soda or hydrogen peroxide can irritate exposed roots or dentin (the hard tissue forming most of the tooth beneath the enamel)
- Various studies have been done that show tooth sensitivity occurs most often in people age 25-30 years old
- You may also have sensitive teeth following normal dental procedures; this should stop within about 4 weeks
Toothache
Toothache or tooth pain can be caused by:
- Tooth decay
- A tooth abscess (can be in the tooth or the root; it is pus from a bacterial infection enclosed by tissue in the jaw bone)
- A cracked tooth
- A damaged filling
- Gums that are infected
- Too many repetitive motions such as grinding your teeth or chewing gum too often
- There could be throbbing, sharp or constant pain with the possibility of swelling around the aching tooth
- Headache
- Sinus Infection
- Fever
- Bad-tasting drainage from the problem tooth
Toothache relief or tooth pain relief may come in many forms including:
- Medications that kill the pain and the infection
- A filling
- A tooth extraction
- A root canal
- Temporary relief using home toothache remedies
Home Remedies for Toothache
Home Remedies for Toothache are often only a temporary measure, but usually bring some measure of comfort, such as:
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| Vanilla Extract |
- A pressure point remedy—rub an ice cube for 5-7 minutes into the V-shaped area where the thumb and forefinger meet
- A mixture of powdered cloves and olive oil dabbed onto the aching tooth with a Q-tip
- Place a whole clove (of Cloves) in the cavity
- Orajel is a time-honored OTC pain reliever for teeth
- Use 2-3 drops of vanilla extract on the aching tooth
- A piece of raw potato on the sore tooth is said to bring relief
- A hot tea bag pressed on the offending tooth should give almost immediate relief
- If desperate and no other possibilities are available, try placing an aspirin in the cavity briefly – I understand you can burn the nerve if you leave it there too long
- Rub Vicks VapoRub on the side of the face where the pain is; the skin absorbs the Vicks and brings relief from the toothache
- Chew a clove of fresh garlic with rock salt on it--be aware that garlic can blister the skin—if you put it in a cavity do not leave it there for long
- Another toothache remedy is 1-2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in hot water; when it has cooled enough to use, swish it around the sore tooth—the warmth and salt will often bring quick relief from a toothache
- Wheat grass juice is a good mouthwash for tooth decay; it will stop a toothache as well. It draws out poisons from the gums and at least slows the bacterial growth in the mouth
- Asafoetida (a Eurasian plant of the parsley family) ground in lemon juice cures toothache; heat the solution, soak a cotton swab and place it in the cavity of the tooth for quick relief of tooth pain
- A paste made from the bark of bay berry mixed with vinegar and applied on the affected area will ease the pain and strengthen the gums
- Oil of oregano on the sore tooth is almost as effective as clove oil
- Chewing leaves of the guava tree will give some relief from tooth pain
- Put a pinch of black pepper mixed with clove oil in the cavity to relieve the toothache
- Put an ice cube on the aching tooth or on the nearest cheek for 15 minutes 3 or 4 times a day
- Place a cotton ball soaked in brandy against the affected tooth to numb the pain
- Take a mouthful of whiskey and hold it over the problem tooth
- If the pain is caused by trapped food, rinse vigorously with water to dislodge the food particles
- Floss your teeth gently to remove tiny bits of food
- Try gargling with Listerine antiseptic
- Gargle with a glassful of water with 1 tsp of salt after each meal and at bedtime
- Chewing raw onion for approximately 3 minutes is sufficient to kill all the germs in the mouth and ensure protection from numerous tooth disorders
- Limes help to prevent decay, loosening of the teeth, dental cavities, toothache and bleeding gums
- A pinch of pepper and ¼ tsp of common salt used regularly prevents dental cavities, bad breath, bleeding or painful gums, and toothaches
- Cough Remedies such as Halls Cough Drops have a minute amount of anesthetic in them; try 2 at once as a toothache remedy to lessen the pain
- Chew some Szechuan Buttons (AKA Toothache Plant--see Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure)
Make a point of eating foods which have no added sugar or are naturally low in sugar. Five foods reputed to improve your dental health include:
- Dairy products--low in acidity and sugar; rich in calcium
- Fruit--choose fruits rich in Vitamin C; a lack of Vitamin C can make gums more susceptible to disease
- Vegetables
- Protein such as beef, chicken, eggs and turkey--rich in phosphorus; our teeth are made up of calcium, phosphorous and Vitamin D
- Water
A Root Canal is a naturally occurring space within the root of a tooth; there is also a dental procedure by the same name. The dental procedure by that name is a treatment used to repair and attempt to save a tooth that is badly decayed and/or infected. The endodontist (sometimes an oral surgeon) will remove the nerve and the pulp, clean out the inside of the tooth and then seal it. People speak of root canal pain; I have never found them to be as painful as the toothache!
Headache Remedies
One of the primary causes of a migraine headache is several days of a toothache. Most headaches and toothaches are detected by the trigeminal nerve—one of the largest nerves in the head--and because of this connection, toothaches can often be the direct cause of a headache. Seek help for a toothache since it can lead to much larger problems!
Wisdom Teeth Pain
Wisdom teeth pain is felt at the back of the mouth behind your molars. While some people experience constant pain, others may have pain only when eating or touching the gum line around the teeth. The teeth usually appear between 17-25 years of age and you may produce four wisdom teeth, fewer than four or more than four! (The extras are known to dentists as supernumerary teeth.) Wisdom teeth can grow in very crooked, pushing other teeth, overcrowding your mouth and causing misalignment of your pearly whites! Pain may be a sign that they are impacted, which means that the wisdom teeth have been prevented by other teeth or by the jaw bone from emerging through the gum. Other signs that they may be impacted are:
- jaw pain and tenderness
- redness and swelling of the gums
- bad breath (halitosis)
- bad taste when you chew your food
Wisdom Tooth Pain can also be caused by
cysts or tumors that form around the tooth; these can result in permanent
damage to your jaw bone and other teeth. If you are experiencing wisdom tooth
pain, see your dentist, endodontist or oral surgeon immediately.
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A little boy
was taken to the dentist. It was discovered that he had a cavity that would
have to be filled. "Now, young man," asked the dentist, "what
kind of filling would you like for that tooth?"
"Chocolate, please," replied the youngster.
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Links for Other Conditions:
Rashes and Allergies:
Home Remedies For EczemaHome Remedies For Allergies
Respiratory Conditions / Colds and Flu
Home Remedies for a Cough Related to Asthma or ColdsHome Remedies For Flu
Home Remedies For Sinus Infections
Cardiovascular / Gastric Conditions
Home Remedies for High Blood PressureHome Remedy For Heartburn
Home Remedies For Bloating
Sore Throat Remedies
Sources and Citations
Read about Tooth Remineralization at: Wellnessmama
You've probably heard throughout your life that Vick's VapoRub (or a similar herbal concoction) stops coughs when applied to your chest, or used in the dispenser area of a humidifier, but did you know that applying it to the soles of your feet and wearing socks over it can help coughs too? I like this approach because sometimes I really don't want Vick's around my face or on my chest or back, and it's a nice alternative to that. Simply slather the Vick's on the soles of your feet and put on some socks (make sure you don't care if the socks get grease stains) right before going to bed. This treatment is best for a cough due to a cold, as asthma attacks can sometimes be triggered by the smell of Vick's.
