TOOTHACHE-HOME REMEDIES
A 'toothache' usually indicates infection, pain and inflammation of the soft tissue within the tooth. This usually results in cases of dental caries or decay in a cavity, an injury, abscess of root of the tooth, cracked tooth or a worn-out filling. Initially the tooth may merely be sensitive to hot and cold substances in the mouth and also to pressure, like from eating. Later on the pain may become sharp, an electric jolt-like, sharp, throbbing, pressing, shooting or a constant dull ache. The pain may radiate from the one painful tooth to all the teeth in that row and rarely the pain may radiate right upto the temples. If the tooth is not properly treated, it will eventually have to be extracted. Insufficient intake of vitamins, minerals and proteins can also lead totoothache.
HOME REMEDIES
1. People who suffer regularly from a toothache must avoid taking sweets, coffee and junk food. Take in more of fresh fruit juices, raw vegetables, millet and sesame (til) seeds, milk and milk products.
2. A moist hot or cold compress (whichever is comfortable) should be applied to the cheek over the painful area.
3. Pack the cavity in the tooth with a cotton piece saturated with clove (lavang) oil, which has anaesthetic and antiseptic properties. Even holding a clove in the mouth next to the aching tooth helps decrease the pain.
4. Mix juice of half a lemon in a glass of warm water and gargle two to three times daily, preferably after meals. Limejuice promotes healthy teeth and gums due to its high content of vitamin C and thus can be used to apply locally to relieve the pain.
5. Press a piece of dry ginger over the tooth that is affected and spit out the excess of saliva collecting in the mouth.
6. Placing a small piece of onion (or onion juice) on the painful tooth will relieve the pain since it is considered to have bactericidal properties.
7. Grind a few holy basil (tulsi) leaves with a little pepper and place this paste between the affected teeth and in the cavity (if present).
8. Aloe vera gel can be applied to the painful tooth to relieve the pain.
9. Sour milk is rubbed over the teeth and then rinsed with warm water to make them clean, remove the tartar and shine.
10. The juice squeezed from a fresh fig can be used as an application also.
11. A clove of garlic with a little rock salt should be placed on the painful tooth.
12. Apply a little pecacuan (hing) mixed with a little salt in the cavity of the teeth. Also a small piece of raw ginger is pressed into the cavity in the tooth.
13. A pinch of powdered milk can be pressed into the painful cavity.
14. Pieces of papaya fruit taken after meals tend to prevent tooth decay.
15. Soak a black tea bag in hot water and then apply it externally to the cheek.
16. A mixture of pepper and mustard powder is placed in a piece of cloth and applied over the aching cheek.
17. The leaf of mango should be rubbed daily over the teeth for preventing tooth decay and for teeth that have turned sour.
18. Rub common salt on the teeth daily and gargle the mouth with a warm salt-water solution.
