Sore Tooth Remedy: Recipe for Salt Water Gargle

A sore tooth is really annoying, as pain resulting from a sore tooth often hurts the whole body. The symptom may vary from a sharp pain to a dull ache. In general, toothache is used to define any pain or soreness occurring within or around the tooth. People suffer from toothache due to inflammation and/or infection in the tooth.

A tooth may become sore due to many reasons; tooth decay or even a food particle stuck next to the tooth can cause a sore tooth. Very often, it is observed as a common symptom of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). However, in such a case, all the teeth may become sore, instead of a single tooth getting affected. The sore teeth become sensitive to cold, heat and pressure and may also result in sore gums.

Sore Tooth Remedy: Recipe for Salt Water Gargle

If infection is the main cause for a sore tooth, the most simple and effective home remedy is to gargle with salt water. Like salt water helps in treating a sore throat, it also cures a sore tooth. Salt draws out water from the pathogens and dehydrates them. Hence, due to its dehydrating property, salt is effectively used in killing bacteria and other germs. There are two concentrations of saline water - isotonic and hypertonic. Here is a recipe for preparing the two concentrations of salt water for gargling.

Isotonic Saline: Take 500 ml of pure water (filtered or distilled) in a glass and add one teaspoon each of table salt and baking soda. Stir the mixture well and gargle. One should gargle with isotonic saline, three times daily or as prescribed by your dentist.

Hypertonic Saline: Hypertonic, as the name suggests, is more concentrated than isotonic saline solution. To prepare this saline, one needs to add two tablespoons of table salt and one tablespoon of baking soda in 500 ml of water. Stir the mixture thoroughly till the salt and baking soda dissolve completely. It is usually recommended for severe tooth sore. One can gargle with hypertonic saline solution, three times daily or as prescribed by your dentist.

For good dental health, it is always advisable to gargle with salt water after every meal and before going to bed. In addition to this, there are many home remedies for toothache. Some of them are:

• Rubbing the affected area with an ice cube for 3-4 minutes will numb the area and alleviate toothache.
• Use of garlic as a home remedy is known to us since a long time. For toothache, one can place a garlic clove with rock salt on the affected area.
• Putting 2-3 drops of vanilla extract will give immediate pain relief.
• In case of infection, grind wheat grass and gargle with the extract. This will kill the bacteria and cure the toothache.
• Clove oil applied to the affected area, will help in curing a sore tooth. One can add a pinch of pepper powder for better results.
• Grind Asafoetida in lemon juice; then heat the mixture till it becomes lukewarm and apply on the affected tooth with the help of a cotton swab. This will help soothe the toothache.

Many a times, a sore tooth is caused due to poor oral hygiene and consumption of sugar rich diets. Speaking about dental care, proper cleaning of teeth is always recommended. One can brush the teeth in a circular motion and then slightly brush the gums for enhancing blood circulation.

In case, the toothache does not subside with the above mentioned home remedies, one can take painkillers or apply pain relieving lotions in the area surrounding the sore tooth. If pain is severe, it is always advisable to consult and seek advice from a qualified dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment. A severe sore tooth requires immediate medical attention, as delay will worsen the toothache and the condition may become more complicated.