What Are the Natural Toothache Relief Remedies for Your Child?
Your child might suffer from severe toothache due to tooth injury, tooth decay or other dental problems. There are several home remedies for tooth pain available online.
This article will list down the best home remedies for tooth pain and how you can avoid the recurrence of toothache in children.
10 Best Home Remedies for Toothache in Children
Whenever you witness toothache, check if your child has a loose tooth or any injury inside the mouth. Brush and floss properly to get rid of the food particles stuck inside and between their teeth. However, if the problem persists, here’s a list to help you:
1. Rinse With Warm Saltwater
Dentists believe that regular warm saltwater rinse works wonders for toothaches. This is because salt water is a natural disinfectant that helps extract food particles that might be stuck between your enamels. This initiates the reduction of any oral injury or inflammation.
Process:
Step 1: You just need to mix a teaspoon of salt into a cup of lukewarm water and rinse it inside your mouth before you swish it out.
Step 2: Train your child to do the same so that they learn the process and follow it accordingly.
2. Rinse With Hydrogen Peroxide
Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide is also another toothache remedy to relieve your child’s toothache or inflammation. According to research, hydrogen peroxide helps kill bacteria and heals in case your child has bleeding gums. Additionally, it reduces plaque and tartar, which might cause toothache.
Process:
Step 1: Ensure to properly dilute hydrogen peroxide before using it.
Step 2: Mix 3% hydrogen peroxide with 3% water to make the solution.
Step 3: Rinse it as a mouthwash and swish it out.
Step 4: Ask your child to follow this step twice a day to get relief from toothache.
3. Opt for Cold Compress
Cold compress is another natural remedy you can apply to your child to help them from severe toothache. A cold compress will constrict the blood vessels in that area, reducing the pain.
Process:
Step 1: Press a gel frozen compress or an ice bag, wrapping it in a towel onto the cheeks of the swollen area.
Step 2: Apply this for 20 minutes twice a day onto the swollen area of your child to get relief from the toothache.
4. Use Peppermint Tea Bags
One of the best home remedies for sensitive teeth is using peppermint tea bags. Peppermint comes with many health benefits; one such is that it fights bacterial infections. Therefore, these bags are extremely effective as they can numb the pain and soothe your child’s sensitive teeth.
Process:
Step 1: Take a peppermint tea bag and allow it to cool down before using it on your child’s swollen teeth.
Step 2: You can also put the tea bag in the refrigerator to get chilled. Then apply it to the tooth.
5. Apply Clove Oil
Clove oil works best as a pain reliever for minor to severe tooth pain. It also has antibacterial properties. However, swallowing clove oil can harm children, so you must only use it on older children and in the presence of an adult. In case you do not have clove oil at home, you can purchase an oral medicine containing clove oil as an ingredient from your nearby pharmacy.
Process:
Step 1: Use cotton to dab it on the swollen area around your child’s teeth.
Step 2: Ensure to dilute the clove oil with almond oil which is food safe.
6. Apply Garlic Paste
Garlic has been recognised for thousands of years for its wonderful medicinal properties. Best known for its antibacterial properties, garlic kills the bacteria that cause plaque and tartar. If teeth infection is the cause of your child’s immense toothache, apply garlic paste to the area and notice how it acts as a pain reliever.
Process:
Step 1: To apply garlic paste to the affected area, crush garlic with a clove and apply it properly to the infected area with clean cotton.
Step 2: Do not forget to add a pinch of salt along with the paste, as this will reduce the irritation on your child's sensitive teeth.
Step 3: Furthermore, you can also ask your child to chew a piece of garlic to relieve the pain.
7. Use Vanilla Extract
Another effective home remedy for tooth pain relief is using vanilla extract on the affected area. Dentists use one of its properties called Eugenol in their dental clinics during temporary dental fillings. Researchers say that vanilla extract has analgesic and antiseptic properties, an effective pain relief substance.
Process:
Step 1: Dab a small quantity of vanilla extract on your finger and apply it to the infected area.
Step 2: Do this twice or thrice a day, and your child won't feel uncomfortable due to the pain.
8. Use Aloe Vera Gel
Massaging the affected area with an aloe vera gel can help to get rid of the harmful bacteria inside your child's mouth. Since aloe vera gel has several antibacterial properties, using it during toothaches will prove beneficial.
Process:
Step 1: Apply aloe vera gel gently on the painful and infected gums.
Step 2: Do not massage it rigorously.
Step 3: Your child will feel a cooling effect after some time, and the pain will reduce gradually. Do this twice or thrice a day.
9. Rinse With Thyme Mouthwash
To relieve toothache pain, ask your child to rinse with thyme mouthwash. Thyme carries antioxidants and has antibacterial properties that will help your child get relief from continuous toothache.
Process:
Step 1: Add a few drops of thyme essential oil and water to a small vessel and mix it well.
Step 2: Use a cotton ball to dab it on the affected spot. Additionally, you can also boil a cup of water and add a few thyme leaves to it.
Step 3: This will create a solution.
Step 4: Allow it to cool down, and ask your child to rinse it like a mouthwash.
10. Chew Guava Leaves
Studies have proved that guava leaves have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and are a great ingredient to heal the infected area around the tooth.
Process:
Step 1: Ask your child to chew guava leaves, and they will notice that the toothache has subdued. Additionally, you can also use crushed guava leaves in one cup of boiling water to prepare a mouthwash.
Step 2: Rinsing with this solution will reduce toothache.
So, here are the best home remedies to fight against toothaches. But it is also essential to understand the causes of these toothaches. Let us find out the reason.
What Are the Causes of Toothache?
Here are some causes of toothache:
- Dental damage/decay- A bacterial attack might cause cavity or dental decay, which is the primary reason for such toothaches. In that case, your dentist will get rid of the cavity and conduct a dental filling.
- Abscess- It is an infection in the teeth that might result if the cavity is not treated. Your dentist might extract the teeth or prescribe certain antibiotics to subdue the pain during this dental issue.
- Periodontal issues- These issues build up when plaque and tartar in your child's teeth lead to gingivitis. This requires immediate attention, where the dentist will completely remove the plaque and tartar from their teeth.
- Tooth fracture- If there is any injury in your child's mouth, this can cause a tooth fracture. Most times, these fractures are only identified during regular dental check-ups. When your dentist finds such an issue, he/she will repair the damage with a dental filling.
- Teeth grinding- This can be another major reason for toothaches in your child. Also known as bruxism, if this issue of not treated properly, it can wear away the enamel and increase discomfort in the jawline. Additionally, your child might lose his/her tooth and notice increased sensitivity in their teeth. During such issues, your dentist will suggest a mouth guard that will reduce the chances of bruxism.
What Are the Ways to Avoid Toothache in Kids?
Practising proper oral hygiene can only prevent toothaches. In that case, ask your child to brush and floss twice daily and rinse it with mouthwash. Some additional ways to alleviate recurrence of toothache in your child are:
- Reduce sugar consumption for your child. If they have consumed chocolates or food containing sugar, ask them to rinse their mouth properly.
- Take your kid to see the dentist regularly. This will allow monitoring of their oral health and detect any potential dental problems.
- Encourage your kid to eat healthy food and avoid sticky eatables that are major reasons for tooth decay.
Now that you know of the different available home remedies for toothache, you can apply them on your child during any emergency. If the problem continues, take your child to a nearby dentist to detect the underlying cause of the pain and treat it accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can worsen my child’s toothache?
Rigorously brushing or flossing the teeth when your child has swollen gums already will worsen the pain. This wears out the enamel and damages the gums. Ask your child to use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid rigorous brushing.
When should I call for a doctor?
You must call a doctor if the toothache persists even after opting for home remedies. Also, if you notice bleeding gums, it is better to take your child to a dentist to understand the underlying issue.