A toothache is a pain like none other. It can often start as a dull sensation and gradually become one of the worst pains you may have ever experienced. Unfortunately, many things can cause a toothache, from getting food stuck between teeth to more internal problems like shifting teeth. Whatever the cause, there are a few ways you can manage the pain as soon as it hits. If you’re experiencing a toothache, you’ll likely need some emergency toothache relief, so you’ll certainly need some tips!

Take some pain medicine

It may seem obvious, but not even people take pain medication when experiencing a toothache. This ache is just like any other ache in your body, and it can be treated the same way. By taking some painkillers, the pain of a toothache should start to fade in a matter of minutes. Most painkiller packaging will say that you can begin to feel the painkiller’s effects after 20 minutes or so, but you can sometimes the results more quickly. After a few hours, you can then take another dose of your preferred painkiller to keep the pain at bay.

Clean your mouth

It’s common for food to be the leading cause of toothache. Even if we have no visible gaps in our teeth, food can still work its way between teeth and get stuck. The gums in our mouths can then react to this food, causing inflammation and pain. Although it might be a little sore, brushing your teeth can dislodge any food that may be stuck. If this happens, after a few minutes, the swelling will begin to go down, and the pain will ease. You will probably want to rinse your mouth a few times to ensure that any remanence of food or bacteria is removed. You can do this with an antibacterial mouthwash or a saltwater rinse. If you can feel something that is lodged between teeth and brushing can’t remove it, trying using a toothpick. You may be able to wiggle something out between your teeth. Remember to be careful though, you don’t want to push anything deeper into the teeth. Alternatively, use clean tweezers to try and dislodge anything.

Watch what you eat

The last thing you need to be eating is anything chewy, crunchie, or hard. This can easily irritate a sore tooth as well as cause even more pain. Think of a bruise, the more you press it, the more it hurts. The same logic applies to a toothache. The more pressure you add to a sore tooth and the more you make it work, the more painful it can become. The area can become more inflamed, and the pain can begin to travel further down the tooth, creating a more significant wound. Ideally, you would eat soft foods or stick to liquid foods, like soup. This eases the pressure on any tooth. If toothache occurs because of a cavity, any tough food can make it worse, especially chewy sweets. Stick to the foods your teeth can cope with to save yourself endless pain.

Garlic has a powerful compound called allicin which is actually an antibacterial property. Eating foods with garlic can clean the mouth and rid of any infection that may be brewing. You could even eat it raw for maximum benefit, although it may give your smelly breath.

Embrace cold

There are two ways that you can embrace the cold when it comes to toothache. Firstly, you can use a cold compress to help reduce the swelling, easing pain. With a small ice pack or even a cold compress, you can hold down on your tooth, reducing inflammation. For example, say you have a toothache because of a wisdom tooth, you could hold a small ice pack to the bottom of your cheek and feel the pain ease. It may take some time for the cooling effects to work, but they will. Secondly, you can also embrace the cold by drinking ice cold water. The almost freezing water can almost numb part of your mouth so that you won’t experience too much pain. This also has the added benefit of keeping you hydrated, which can also combat pain as your body is feeling prepared for anything.

If your toothache persists and lasts for several days, you will need to see a dentist. You could have an infection underneath the tooth, or teeth could be grinding together and wearing each other down. Whatever the cause, a dentist will be able to take a better look inside your mouth and try to resolve the problem.