Home remedies to ease tooth pain

Rinse gently with warm salt water, use a cold compress, and arrange a dental examination because home care cannot remove the cause.

Keep the area clean, avoid very hot, cold, sweet, or hard foods, and do not place aspirin or other tablets directly on the gum. Pain relief medicine may help when used according to its label and your pharmacist's advice.

Tooth pain is a symptom from the tooth, the gum, or nearby jaw tissues. A cavity, a crack, exposed dentine, inflamed pulp inside the tooth, a gum infection, or pressure from an erupting tooth can produce pain.

A cold stimulus that causes a brief response can behave differently from inflammation of the dental pulp, which may cause lingering, spontaneous, or night pain. The pattern, location, triggers, and examination findings help identify the cause.

Brush carefully with a soft toothbrush and clean between the teeth to remove trapped food. Swish warm salt water gently, then spit it out, and place a wrapped cold pack against the cheek for short periods if the area is swollen or tender.

Choose soft foods and chew on the opposite side. A dentist may inspect the tooth, test its response to cold or tapping, check the gums, and take a dental X-ray before treating decay with a filling, repairing a crack, treating the pulp, or managing an infection.

Arrange dental care promptly when pain lasts, returns, interferes with sleep, or comes with sensitivity that lingers after a trigger. A broken tooth, swelling of the gum or face, a bad taste, pus, fever, or pain when biting also needs an examination.

Seek urgent medical help if swelling makes breathing or swallowing difficult, spreads around the eye or neck, or prevents you from opening your mouth normally. Do not wait for a home remedy to settle these signs.

Ask which tooth or tissue is causing the pain, whether the pulp is inflamed or infected, and what the examination or X-ray shows. Ask which treatment will address the cause and what may happen if treatment is delayed.

Tell the dentist when the pain began, what triggers it, whether it lingers, and which medicines or home measures you have used. Mention pregnancy, allergies, long-term conditions, and regular medicines before taking any pain reliever.