Toothache can mean you've got a cavity or infected gums or maybe a new wisdom tooth is moving to the surface. Stop the pain with the following suggestions.
Clean your teeth
Simply brush, floss, or rinse your mouth briskly with lukewarm water to remove trapped food which can cause toothache.
Use warm water
Hold a mouthful of very warm water for a couple of minutes or until the pain subsides, then spit it out and repeat if the pain returns.
If heat does not work try the same procedure with cold water.
You can also put ice directly on the aching tooth or on your cheek for 15 minutes three or four times a day, as needed.
Rub it
Rub an ice cube into the V-shaped area where the bones of your thumb and forefinger meet in the hand on the same side as the toothache.
Researchers have found that numbing the hand this way for about 7 minutes cuts the intensity of toothaches by about half, by blocking the passage of toothache pain impulses along nerve pathways in your brain.
Take aspirin
Don't place aspirin directly on your aching tooth as this can cause an aspirin burn in your gums or cheek.
Instead take two aspirin every 4 to 6 hours as required to relieve the pain.
If you're sensitive to aspirin try ibuprofen.
Use clove oil
Oil of clove has proven effective in anesthetizing a toothache.
Use an over-the-counter preparation, not pure clove oil, which can damage nerves.
Drop a small amount of the preparation directly onto the sore tooth, or dab some onto a cotton ball and place it over the tooth.
A whole clove held against the tooth can also work.
Chew something hard
If you have a new wisdom tooth emerging try chewing something hard like pretzels which may help the tooth break through the gum sooner.
Unfortunately, the wisdom tooth process can occur on and off for a week or a lifetime.
Some wisdom teeth never come through competely and if yours do not break through in a week or so, see your dentist.
Use salt water
Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in a glassful of very warm water and swish a mouthful of the solution around and between your teeth, spit it out, and repeat until you have used up all the water in the glass.
This may reduce the pain for some hours, but if it doesn't try the procedure again.
Desensitize your teeth
Some people's teeth are just more sensitive than others.
Teeth whose roots are exposed due to gum disease or brushing too hard can become sensitive.
Sensitivity can also result from cracks, broken fillings, or decay.
Desensitizing toothpastes like Sensodyne can help.
For 2 minutes, dab a cotton swab dabbed in the toothpaste along the gum line of the sensitive tee th.
Repeat the procedure morning and night for two weeks, then once or twice a week as the sensitivity diminishes.
If it does not help see your dentist for a checkup.