Last
week my husband mentioned that one of his teeth was hurting every now and then.
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Friday
night, he cracked it. Of
course, on a Friday, with a long weekend to wait until he could see
a dentist.
We used home remedies to help keep
the pain tolerable until he could get an emergency appointment on Monday. He did have to have it pulled yesterday, but here’s how he made it
through the weekend.
The
first worry I had wasn’t pain, it was infection. I’ve had an abscessed
tooth and it was hands down the worst pain
I’ve ever experienced, and I knew that if his tooth got infected he’d have to
wait even longer to get his tooth taken care of- at least a day on antibiotics.
The mouth is a natural breeding
ground for germs, and any opening in the teeth can quickly become infected. Our homegrown infection prevention included:
1.
Good hygiene, brushing
and rinsing the mouth often
2.
Salt water gargle, which
changes the pH of the mouth so bacteria can’t grow
3.
Garlic, which is
a natural antibiotic. If you can, chew whole cloves so that the garlic
gets into every nook and cranny of your mouth. It’s effect, but not
particularly tasty and your breath is definitely not going to smell good.
Otherwise, apply garlic to the area most prone to infection. To do this,
cut a clove of garlic in half and place the cut end over opening in the tooth.
It will burn for a few seconds, then the site will become numb.
Pain relief was naturally the Hubs’
priority. Here’s how he managed the pain.
4.
Cloves. You
can buy clove oil, but if you don’t have that, using whole cloves on the sore
area will numb it. Clove oil has long been used for dental problems,
and it’s worthwhile to keep some on hand.
5.
Over-the-counter medications, in this
case, ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil). Ibuprofen helps reduce swelling and
offers pain relief.
6.
Liquid Anbesol.
This is the heavy duty stuff, not the teething fel for babies, and it’s
mainly helpful for flare ups. DO NOT use with children- it’s so strong it
could paralyze their throat muscles.
7.
Listerine. Soak
a cotton ball or roll of gauze, and pack it around the tooth. Bonus, this
will also help with infection control.
8.
Fluoride toothpaste. Use as a poultice, it will strengthen the enamel and reduce sensitivity.
A useful resource is the
book, Where There Is No Dentist, written for situations in third world
countries where DIY dentistry is often necessary. You can download
the free .pdf, get it for your eReader, or order a paperback copy.
Prevent tooth aches from the start.
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