Toothache Home Remedies Until the Dentist: Clove Oil and Salt Rinse
Please don’t crush an aspirin and press it against the sore gum. It burns the gum and doesn’t touch the tooth. The toothache home remedies that genuinely help are gentler, and all of them are meant to get you comfortably to a dentist, not to replace one.
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Go to a hospital or emergency dentist the same day if there’s swelling of the face, jaw, eye or neck, fever with tooth pain, difficulty swallowing, breathing or opening the mouth, or a bad taste with pus. A dental abscess can spread and become serious. See a dentist within a day or two for pain lasting more than 48 hours, pain when biting, a broken tooth, or pain that wakes you at night. Never put a warm or hot compress on a swollen face; heat can encourage an infection to spread. Clove oil is not for children under 2, should be used with care in older children, and pregnant or breastfeeding women should use only occasional, tiny amounts and ask their dentist. People on blood thinners, or with a bleeding disorder, should avoid regular clove oil use and aspirin and should mention them to the dentist. Diabetics tend to get gum infections that worsen quickly, so see the dentist sooner. Don’t take more painkillers than the pack allows, and don’t give aspirin to anyone under 16.
What’s actually going on
Toothache usually has one of a few causes: a cavity that’s reached near the nerve, a cracked tooth, a gum infection, a wisdom tooth pushing through, or food jammed between teeth. Sensitivity to cold that fades in seconds is often an early, minor problem. Throbbing pain that lingers, especially with heat, or wakes you at night, means the nerve is involved, and that needs a dentist.
Home measures can calm pain for a day or two. They can’t fill a cavity or drain an abscess.
Toothache home remedies that are worth doing
1. Clear the area first
Sometimes the whole problem is a fibre of mango or a sliver of chicken bone. Gently floss both sides of the painful tooth, sliding the floss into a C shape along the tooth. Don’t dig with a toothpick, pin or safety pin; you’ll cut the gum. Doing that between all your teeth every day is what stops the trap forming in the first place.
2. Warm salt water rinse
- Warm 250 ml (one glass) of water to lukewarm, around 37 to 40°C, warm to the finger but not hot.
- Stir in half a teaspoon (about 3 g) of ordinary salt until dissolved.
- Take a mouthful and swish it around the sore area for 30 seconds.
- Spit it out. Don’t swallow.
- Repeat until the glass is finished. Do this 3 to 4 times a day, and after meals.
This is a rinse that you spit out, not a drink. It keeps the area clean and many people find it soothing. We’ve covered salt gargles for the throat separately in salt water gargle; the mouth rinse is milder and focused on the tooth.
3. Clove oil, used correctly
Clove (laung) has been used for toothache in desi homes for generations, and clove oil does give a numbing feeling. But undiluted oil can burn the gum and the inside of the cheek. Here’s the careful way.
- Pour half a teaspoon (about 2.5 ml) of a plain carrier oil, such as coconut, sesame or olive oil, into a clean spoon.
- Add clove oil as the bottle’s label directs for dilution, or as your pharmacist advises, and mix with a cotton bud.
- Dip a small piece of cotton wool, about the size of a pea, into the mix and squeeze out the excess so it’s damp, not dripping.
- Place it on the painful tooth, or in a cavity if there’s one, for 5 to 10 minutes. Try to keep it on the tooth, not on the gum.
- Remove it and rinse your mouth with plain water. Keep to what the label allows, and don’t rely on it for more than a couple of days.
No clove oil? Hold a single whole clove gently against the tooth, softening it first with saliva, and don’t chew it hard. For more on buying and storing laung, see our cloves guide.
4. Cold on the outside
For pain and swelling, wrap a few ice cubes or a bag of frozen peas in a thin cloth and hold it against the cheek outside the painful area for 15 minutes. Remove it for 15 minutes, then repeat. Cold, not heat.
5. Sleep with your head raised
Use an extra pillow so your head is higher than your chest. Many people find throbbing is worse lying flat.
What not to do
| Don’t | Why |
|---|---|
| Aspirin tablet on the gum | Causes a chemical burn |
| Hot compress on a swollen cheek | May help infection spread |
| Neat clove oil on gums | Burns soft tissue |
| Raw garlic or onion packed in | Can irritate and burn the gum |
| Alcohol, petrol or kerosene | Harmful; no benefit |
| Poking with a pin | Cuts the gum, adds infection |
| Delaying the dentist for weeks | A fillable cavity can become a root canal or extraction |
A clove held on an aching tooth appears across Unani, Ayurvedic and plain household practice, and laung is described in Unani tradition as hot and dry in temperament, used for cold, aching conditions of the mouth. Neem and kikar twigs were chewed for daily cleaning; we’ve written about miswak, which remains a respected cleaning habit. Old homes also packed teeth with salt and mustard oil paste. Tradition gave us useful comfort measures, but it came from a time without dentists, and nobody should wait out an abscess with a clove.
Getting to the dentist without panic
Many people put off the dentist because they’re scared of the cost or the drill. Call and describe the pain honestly: how long, whether there’s swelling, whether it wakes you. Clinics often fit in urgent pain the same or next day. Take a list of any medicines you’re on, particularly blood thinners and diabetes medicines, and mention pregnancy if relevant.
Until the appointment, chew on the other side, choose soft, lukewarm food like khichdi, dal and dahi, and avoid very cold drinks, very hot chai and sticky mithai, which usually set a sore tooth off. If a filling or a piece of tooth has broken, keep the area clean with the salt rinse and don’t try to glue anything back yourself.
Keeping it from coming back
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste for 2 minutes, especially last thing at night.
- Clean between teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes.
- Cut down on frequent sugary chai, mithai and fizzy drinks between meals. It’s how often, more than how much.
- Rinse your mouth with water after sweet tea; see our small habit rinse after tea.
- See a dentist for a check-up regularly, not only when it hurts.
Mouth sores rather than a tooth? That’s a different problem; see munh ke chhale. More everyday care is in Desi Remedies.
Toothache questions before the dentist
How can I stop toothache pain fast at home?
Floss gently around the tooth to clear trapped food, then rinse with warm salt water. A well-diluted clove oil dab on the tooth and a cold pack on the outside of the cheek give many people relief. These only buy time; the tooth still needs a dentist.
How do I use clove oil for toothache safely?
Always dilute it. Mix 1 to 2 drops of clove oil into half a teaspoon of coconut, sesame or olive oil, soak a pea-sized bit of cotton, squeeze it damp and hold it on the tooth for 5 to 10 minutes. Neat clove oil can burn the gum, so keep it off soft tissue.
Does salt water rinse kill the tooth infection?
No. A warm salt rinse keeps the area clean and feels soothing, but it can’t clear an infection or fill a cavity. Use half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water, swish and spit, 3 to 4 times a day until you see the dentist.
Should I use hot or cold for toothache?
Cold, on the outside of the cheek, for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. Avoid heat, and never put a warm compress on a swollen face, because warmth can encourage an infection to spread.
How long can I manage toothache at home?
A day or two at most. Pain lasting beyond 48 hours, pain on biting, a broken tooth or pain that wakes you at night needs a dentist within a day or two. Any swelling, fever or pus means going the same day.
When is toothache an emergency?
Go to a hospital or emergency dentist the same day for swelling of the face, jaw, eye or neck, fever with tooth pain, trouble swallowing, breathing or opening the mouth, or a bad taste with pus. A dental abscess can spread and become dangerous quickly.
Why does my toothache get worse at night?
Lying flat can add pressure in an inflamed tooth, and with fewer distractions you notice the pain more. Sleep with an extra pillow so your head sits higher than your chest. Pain that keeps waking you usually means the nerve is involved.
Can I put aspirin on my tooth for pain?
Please don’t. A crushed aspirin pressed on the gum causes a chemical burn and does nothing for the tooth itself. Painkillers work when swallowed as directed on the pack, and aspirin should never be given to anyone under 16.
Can I use clove oil for my child’s toothache?
Not under age 2. For older children use a much weaker mix only now and then, and get them to a dentist. A cool cloth on the cheek, and a salt rinse if they’re old enough to spit it out, are safer choices.
Is clove oil safe in pregnancy?
An occasional, well-diluted dab on the tooth is generally considered low risk, but ask your dentist or doctor first and don’t swallow it. Dental treatment during pregnancy is safe and important, so don’t put off the appointment.
Does holding a clove on the tooth help?
It can give a mild numbing feeling, which is why laung has been used this way for generations. Soften a single whole clove with saliva and rest it against the tooth without chewing hard. It’s a comfort measure, not a fix for a cavity or abscess.
What should I eat when I have toothache?
Choose soft, lukewarm food like khichdi, dal and dahi, and chew on the other side. Very cold drinks, very hot chai and sticky mithai tend to set a sore tooth off, so leave those until it’s been treated.
Why is my tooth sensitive to cold?
A quick twinge from cold that fades within seconds is often an early, minor problem such as worn enamel or a small cavity. Pain that lingers after hot or cold, or throbs on its own, suggests the nerve is involved and needs a dentist soon.