Mother Knows Best – Do Old Tooth Ache Prevention Remedies Really Work?

Since these are remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation, we’ll just go ahead and disclaim that we don’t mean any offense to any moms or grandmas that swear by these tricks.

However, we will say that home remedies never guarantee a permanent solution to pain relief. Yes, the pain will lessen temporarily, but since these remedies don’t really get to the root of the problem, they may not be so useful in the long run.

However, before you send us an angry message saying that your remedy worked, let’s just explain some more common remedies, and why we believe that they don’t!

Common Remedies for Toothache Relief

- Biting on Cloves or Clove Oil

Cloves have a natural anesthetic—known as Eugenol—in them. Biting on a clove, or using a drop or two on a cotton ball and biting down on that, numbs the area that’s in pain. But this won’t work for long. The clove will make the pain even worse eventually, since your gums and tongue will become even more sensitive to the pain after the numbness wears off.

- Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse

Technically speaking, hydrogen peroxide is more effective in clearing out the bacteria in your mouth, which may cause pain relief. However, it’s more dangerous than any other remedy on this list, since if it is ingested, the peroxide may cause intestinal problems, and may even burn your mouth.

- Bourbon-Soaked Cotton Ball

While bourbon does have some numbing properties (as does most alcohol), again, it’s not a permanent solution. In fact, that pain will come roaring back once the alcohol evaporates. In addition, if you use this trick for a child’s toothache, they’ll only end up ingesting some of that alcohol, which can cause them to throw up.

  - Garlic

Garlic acts as an antibiotic and can hinder bacteria growth in your mouth as well. However, it’s not really that useful, especially if your tooth pain is caused by a disorder of your temporomandibular joints.

  - Vanilla Extract

Vanilla can also be soothing as well, mainly because of alcohol being an active ingredient in the extract.  However, you’ll need to keep reapplying the extract on the throbbing tooth and gum, since it only lasts a few minutes.

 

 

So what’s the best way to treat a toothache?

Only a dentist can tell you the real cause and treat it effectively.

So if you’re suffering from a toothache, don’t depend on these remedies. Book an appointment at our Germantown clinic instead. Advanced Dental Center will give you the quality dental care you need!