5 Tips to Ease Tootache

That miserable, depressing and gnawing affliction toothache strikes at the most inopportune moments, usually at night or when the dentist has closed shop for the day.

The pain will be with you until you can get an appointment, or a 'drop-in' the next day. It seems like hours away...how can you cope with the misery?

Here are 5 tips to ease toothache that are proven to work in most cases and can be a temporary freedom from the pain, or at least go some way to lessen it.

Some remedies ask for things that are not usually available in your house at the time the pain strikes, such as Cloves and Plantain leaves, so the 5 tips to ease toothache below should be available in most households.

Don't rely on these to bail you out though...the Dentist is your next port of call!

Number 1:
SALT - Yes, Salt with a small glass of warm water. Take a full tablespoon of salt and stir it into the water rapidly, then swish it around your teeth and mouth for around a minute. Spit it out and do the exact same with another half mouthful. Continue this four or five times. It may not completely rid you of the pain, but you should feel it ease a fair bit.

Number 2:
ALCOHOL - Booze, or more precisely, spirits. Whiskey and Brandy is preferred, but Vodka can also work. Again, take a half mouthful and try to concentrate the liquid on the tooth, sucking and swishing to get it right to the spot. Do this 3 or 4 times until the relief starts to kick in. Swallowing is optional if your old enough and wise enough to take it!

Number 3:
GARLIC - The many useful uses of a garlic glove! Cut off a piece of the garlic big enough to rest against your cheek and tooth, making sure it's touching the tooth. Stab the clove of garlic a little before hand with a clean pin to get the juices flowing. You can also mash up the glove and add salt, then apply directly on, and around, the tooth. It might make your breath pong a bit, but relief should take hold soon.

Number 4:
BAKING SODA - Either take a cotton swap or a Q-tip and moisten it with salt water, then dip into the baking soda making sure it's well coated. Apply directly onto the tooth and hold, or grip together with your other teeth if you can. You can also make a mouth wash with the baking soda and warm water to swirl around your mouth. Stir well beforehand; a half glass should be fine.

Number 5:
ICE PACK - Yes, I know the mind crumbles when ice and teeth are mentioned in the same sentence, but the ice goes on the outside of the face! Make sure you have a thin layer of cloth between you and the ice...we don't want ice burns! The ice should numb the area so you can at least get some relief. You can try a hot compress if this doesn't work, making sure you also use a cloth to protect your skin.

So, that's 5 tips to ease toothache and they should all work to some extent. Even if you get an hour pain free, it'll be worth it.

If you are in so much pain you cannot even concentrate, go to an emergency dentist immediately. There could be an abscess causing the pain and nothing but extraction will solve that. There may be some other reasons why your tooth aches so much, so get it sorted straight away!

I know the pain you feel, we've all been there at one time or another, and if you're afraid of dentists, ask yourself this...Would you rather spend 30 minutes in a chair, numbed, no pain and then totally pain free, or would you rather spend hours in excruciating pain for ever more and a day?

I think you know the answer.