A saltwater rinse, a cold compress, and over-the-counter pain relievers can all reduce toothache pain within minutes. These home remedies won’t fix the underlying problem, but they can make the hours (or days) before a dental appointment much more bearable. Here’s what actually works, what to avoid, and how to get through the night.
Saltwater Rinse: Your First Step
A warm saltwater rinse is the simplest and most reliable way to start. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt into 8 ounces of warm water, swish it gently around the painful area for 30 seconds, and spit it out. You can repeat this several times a day.
Salt works through osmosis, pulling water out of bacteria and effectively killing them. It also shifts the pH of your mouth toward alkaline, which is an environment where harmful bacteria struggle to survive. The result is less bacterial activity around the sore tooth, less inflammation, and temporary pain relief. It won’t numb the nerve, but it can take the edge off and help keep the area clean while you wait for treatment.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Ibuprofen is generally the most effective over-the-counter option for dental pain because it reduces both pain and inflammation. Standard doses come in 200-milligram tablets. For stronger relief, clinical research on dental pain (specifically after tooth extractions) has found that combining ibuprofen with acetaminophen provides greater pain relief than either one alone, and with fewer side effects than opioid-containing painkillers.
If you go this route, take each medication at its recommended dose. Don’t exceed the daily limits on the packaging, and avoid ibuprofen if you have stomach ulcers or kidney problems.
One critical warning: never place an aspirin tablet directly against your gum or cheek near a painful tooth. This is a surprisingly common folk remedy, but aspirin is acidic and causes chemical burns to soft tissue on contact. It can lead to white, sloughing patches of damaged tissue, gum erosion, and pain that’s worse than what you started with. Swallow your pain relievers normally.
Cold Compress for Swelling
If your cheek or jaw is swollen, a cold compress can reduce both the swelling and the pain. Wrap ice or a cold pack in a thin cloth and hold it against the outside of your cheek for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Remove it for at least 10 minutes before reapplying. Always keep a layer of fabric between the ice and your skin to prevent frostbite.
Cold works by constricting blood vessels in the area, which limits the flow of inflammatory fluid to the swollen tissue. It also has a mild numbing effect. This is especially useful in the first day or two of acute pain.
Clove Oil as a Topical Numbing Agent
Clove oil contains a compound called eugenol, which makes up 70% to 90% of the oil and acts as a natural anesthetic. It’s one of the few home remedies that can genuinely numb a sore tooth on contact.
To use it safely, dilute a few drops of clove essential oil into a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil. Dip a clean cotton ball or cotton swab into the mixture, then gently press it against the gum around the painful tooth. Let it sit for a minute or two, then rinse your mouth out. You can reapply a few times a day as needed.
Before your first use, do a small patch test on the inside of your wrist. Some people are sensitive to eugenol, and undiluted clove oil can irritate gum tissue. The diluted version is mild enough for most people and provides noticeable numbing within a few minutes.
Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse
A diluted hydrogen peroxide rinse can help reduce bacteria and soothe inflamed gums. Mix 3% hydrogen peroxide (the standard concentration sold at pharmacies) with an equal amount of water. Swish the mixture around your mouth for about 30 seconds and spit it out completely.
Do not swallow it. Undiluted hydrogen peroxide can burn soft tissue, and swallowing it can cause throat irritation, vomiting, and abdominal pain. This is particularly dangerous for children. Always dilute it 1:1 with water and treat it as a rinse, not a drink.
How to Sleep With a Toothache
Toothaches famously get worse at night. There’s a straightforward reason: when you lie flat, blood flows more freely to your head, increasing pressure in the inflamed tissue around your tooth. That pressure is what creates the throbbing sensation that keeps you awake.
Elevating your head 30 to 45 degrees above horizontal counteracts this. Your heart has to pump against gravity to send blood upward, which naturally reduces blood pressure in your head and neck. Less pressure on the inflamed tooth means less throbbing. Stack two or three pillows, use an adjustable bed frame, or sleep in a reclining chair if the pain is severe. Combine this with a dose of ibuprofen taken 20 to 30 minutes before bed, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting some rest.
Avoid eating anything very hot, cold, or sugary right before bed. These can trigger sharp pain spikes in an already-sensitive tooth and make it harder to fall asleep.
Remedies That Help Less Than You’d Think
Garlic is often recommended for toothaches because it contains allicin, an antimicrobial compound released when garlic is crushed or chewed. Allicin does interfere with bacteria’s ability to form the films that lead to oral disease. But the effect is more of a long-term oral health benefit than an immediate pain reliever. Crushing raw garlic against a sore tooth is unlikely to numb it, and the burning sensation of raw garlic on inflamed tissue can be unpleasant.
Peppermint tea bags are another popular suggestion. Cooled, damp tea bags held against the gum can feel soothing, and menthol does have mild numbing properties. But the concentration of menthol in a tea bag is low compared to clove oil’s eugenol content. It’s not harmful, and the cool sensation can be comforting, but don’t expect it to manage serious pain.
Signs You Need Emergency Care
Home remedies are a bridge to a dental appointment, not a replacement for one. Most toothaches stem from decay, cracks, or infection that will only get worse without professional treatment. But certain symptoms mean you should seek care immediately, not at your next available appointment:
- Difficulty breathing, speaking, or swallowing. Severe dental infections can spread to the throat and airway.
- Significant facial swelling, especially if it’s spreading toward your eye or under your jaw.
- Swollen or painful eye, or sudden vision changes.
- Fever combined with dental pain, which signals the infection may be spreading beyond the tooth.
- Difficulty opening your mouth.
These are signs of a dental abscess that has progressed to a dangerous stage. Abscesses don’t resolve on their own, and in rare cases, the infection can become life-threatening if it reaches the bloodstream or airway. If any of these symptoms appear, go to an emergency room rather than waiting for a dentist.