A toothache offers a unique kind of pain that many adults have low-tolerance for. In fact, about 45% of adults (in this study) say it’s the highest pain possible. Now imagine your child being the one with tooth pain. It will have most parents googling “how to stop tooth pain fast” in record time!
You’ll be happy to know there’s a lot of home remedies for toothaches and our pediatric dental experts are here to tell you which ones are safe and effective!
Let’s chat about the best ones!
The 5 best home remedies for a toothache
Now the strongest toothache medicine is diligent dental care! Making sure your child has a strong oral hygiene routine and that they attend their dental check-ups every 6 months, is how best to combat toothaches.
But if you and your child find yourselves with a suspected cavity or an unexpected tooth trauma, your sole focus will be on getting your child the help (and the relief) they need!
Your first step in helping your child with their toothache is to give our emergency pediatric dentists a call! Our friendly team will be able to help schedule an immediate appointment to help alleviate your child’s toothache. Our dental experts (Dr. Sierra, Dr. Patel, and Dr. Kwon) may also schedule a virtual consultation with you and your child if needed.
While you wait for your child’s emergency dental appointment, you can try out these tooth nerve pain relief methods at home.
- Salt water rinse. Salt offers natural healing properties and is a natural disinfectant. Having your child gargle warm salt water can help dislodge any food particles that may be in the decayed portion of their tooth, irritating their tooth nerve.
Simply mix ½ teaspoon of salt with warm water until dissolved. Help your child swish and gargle this in their mouth and spit out. Repeat until the glass is empty.
- Cold compress. A pack of ice or a pack of frozen peas can offer some relief for your child as well. Apply a wrapped cold compress to the general area of their tooth pain for 15 minutes to numb the area. Be sure to follow the 15-on-15-off rule.
- Tylenol or Mortin. Over-the-counter pain relievers can go a long way to helping alleviate tooth pain. Especially if your child’s toothache is from a cavity (as this usually means there’s inflammation). Just follow your pediatrician’s recommended dosage by weight.
- Tea bags. A warm or a cold tea bag can help alleviate tooth pain too! Make sure if you use a warm tea bag, it’s cooled down enough to not burn your child. Depending on their age you can apply the tea bag directly on the affected tooth or press it to the affected area on the outside.
Bonus if the tea bag is from peppermint tea as peppermint is an antimicrobial! (This is why most toothpaste is peppermint-flavored!)
- Vanilla extract. Now we know what you’re thinking and yes, there are more uses to this baking ingredient than making cookies! Not only is vanilla also an anti-inflammatory, but extract contains a small amount of alcohol for preservation purposes. This together with vanilla’s natural defenses can help remedy your child’s toothache. Just simply blot some on a cotton ball and stick it on your child’s affected tooth.
Please be aware. With all of these methods, you should choose a method that will be safe and effective for your child. For example, if your child is too young to understand not to chew or eat a tea bag or cotton ball, we recommend trying a different home remedy for toothache on this list.
Still have questions about tooth nerve pain relief?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
We want to empower parents with the right information to help their littles care for their growing smiles. Home remedies for toothaches can help offer relief for your child’s pain while you wait for their emergency dental appointment.
Dr. Sierra, Dr. Kwon, Dr. Patel and our team are here to help guide you and your child. We offer kinder, gentler dentistry for kids and teens. It is our goal that your child develops and maintains a positive association with dental care and we do everything we can to create a pleasant, supportive, and fun environment for our little patients.
Ready to schedule an appointment? Let’s get started. Visit us in Town ‘n’ Country, South Tampa, North Tampa or Bradenton!
