Sudden tooth pain can be an alarming and distressing experience, often striking without warning and disrupting daily life. This sharp or throbbing discomfort may stem from a variety of causes, including cavities, gum infections, impacted wisdom teeth, or even sinus issues. In some cases, the pain might arise from something as simple as sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, while in others, it could signal a more serious underlying dental issue that requires immediate attention. While professional care is essential for addressing the root cause, there are several effective home remedies to provide temporary relief until you can see a dentist. From saltwater rinses and clove oil to over-the-counter painkillers and cold compresses, these solutions offer accessible ways to manage sudden tooth pain naturally and effectively. However, it’s important to remember that these remedies are not substitutes for proper dental treatment.

Having said that in this article, we are going to take a look at what may be causing the sudden tooth pain and what you can do about it.

Cavities

Well, the first and most obvious culprits are cavities. Cavities are formed when certain bacteria build up on your tooth and destroy the animal creating large holes in your teeth. These often start as tiny little black dots, and then later into larger and larger spots, eating your teeth from the outside towards the inside.

Since these are quite visible with blank eyes, people often tend to notice them quickly and visit their dentist in order to have them removed or have the tooth fixed. However, this is not always the case. There are many times when the cavities build up between the teeth where they are not easily visible. We have a whole other article where we’ve discussed this matter, and you can read it by clicking here.

What is important for you to know is that treating cavities especially when they are in their first stages must be on top of your priorities or else they will develop into more complicated issues and we don’t want that.

Cracked Tooth

The next common factor is a broken or cracked tooth. This condition may occur due to a large variety of reasons amongst them are severe traumas, coming from eating or chewing on hard foods such as nutshells.

Generally, speaking, a crack on the tooth can expose the sensitive nerves and the inside of the tooth to the outside environment, including your saliva and other harmful bacteria. This will create an acidic environment inside the tooth, causing inflammation of the nerve endings and leading to severe sudden tooth pain. Similar to the previous one as soon as you feel that two is cracked or broken you must visit your dentist to deal with the issue.

Gum Disease

So far what you have read tends to be one of the more common reasons behind sudden tooth pain. There are, however, other reasons that can be more serious than the ones mentioned above and also less common. The king among these is gum disease.

Generally speaking, your disease can occur due to a large variety of reasons, including poor oral hygiene, getting non-holistic dental treatment, or having metal fillings or appliances, such as titanium dental implants, which are not biocompatible in your mouth.

Besides southern tooth pain, gum disease can have symptoms such as excessive gum bleeding. You can read all about gum disease, and the most advanced treatment of it as of yet by clicking here and checking out our LANAP page.

Overall, it is recommended that you ask your dentist to check out your gums along with your teeth every time you go for a visit.

Sinus infections

Sinus infection, or another very common and yet overseen reason behind sudden toothpaste, many times due to the congestion of your mucus inside the maxillary area behind your cheeks and nose, which is technically right above your upper jaw, can lead to infections and triggering autoimmune systems. Either way, this can severely impact your oral hygiene and lead to chronic illnesses not just in your oral area, but also in other places such as your esophagus or stomach.

Home Remedies for Sudden Tooth Pain

Now that we have the causes out of the way let’s take a look at what you can do before visiting your dentist. 

Rising with salt water

The first home remedy that comes to mind in order to cure your sudden tooth. Pain is rinsing the infected area with salt water. Salt is known to have antibacterial effects so it is very effective in reducing and controlling inflammation. What is important for you to know is that the saltwater you use must not taste too salty. Also, the temperature of the solution must neither be too hot nor too cold to prevent stimulating sensitivity on your tooth. A good rule of thumb is to mix one glass of water with one teaspoon of salt.

Garlic

For as long as there is medical history, available to us, garlic has been used to reduce inflammation and open wounds and health get rid of all the unwanted bacteria which could lead the body part to go bad. You may want to use the same concept to temporarily get rid of your sudden tooth pain. To use garlic for this purpose, you can press and break garlic into small pieces and then apply the paste to the infected area. 

If your tooth is not cracked, you can also gently bite on a soft piece of garlic and use your tongue to place it where you feel the pain. Please take note that it is important to leave the garlic in place for a few minutes for it to start working. Garlic is known to act much faster than many over-the-counter painkillers. However, it cannot replace actual treatment from your dentist.

Brushing your teeth

You may already have experience with this one. In many cases, the Sutton, pain or irritation is caused by a tiny piece of food that is stuck somewhere in your mouth, and a simple brushing will get rid of it. Simply pick your toothbrush and apply some toothpaste on it, and then brush your teeth thoroughly, especially the area where you feel the pain. Make sure that you are not brushing your teeth excessively especially putting too much pressure on your gums. The last thing you would want is some gum irritation, along with your sudden tooth pain.

Turmeric paste

Using turmeric paste is also known to help relieve southern tooth pains. Turmeric is another one of those spices which have been used to treat a large number of illnesses during ancient times so why not just use it in the modern world as well? Take about a teaspoon of turmeric and mix it with just enough water to create a paste-like material. then apply the paste on the area where it hurts.

Flossing

Similar to brushing your teeth when there’s a sudden tooth pain, flossing your teeth, can also help with removing the tiny food particles that are stuck in your gums and between your teeth. With a good floss you you may even be able to clean some of the bacteria that are causing the infection for a short while until you can go see your dentist. We have a whole other article dedicated to how you should carry out your flossing which you can read by clicking here.

Cold Compress

Your sudden tooth pain can also be relieved through a cold compress with a bag of ice, especially if the pain is caused by a swollen gum or some kind of injury. The process is pretty simple. Just put a bag of ice, or any other form of cold compress, against your cheek just above the area of pain for a few minutes at a time.

However, there are 2 very important things that you should know about using a cold compress. The first one is that you should not put ice directly on your skin. This is because the ice will momentarily melt on your face and then refreeze on the spot, causing irritation and damage to your skin. It is best if you use other frozen things available to you, such as a bag of frozen beans. 

The second thing to remember is that for the cold compress to actually work, you need to have it on and off the tooth in short time intervals. For example, you can keep the compress for 2 minutes, let it go for 30 seconds, and then put it back on and follow the same pattern a few times.

Final words

A sudden tooth pain can be such a new sense and irritating problem. It often makes the victim feel like there is no worse pain than the pain. They are feeling at that moment. Now these home remedies will help you get rid of the pain in the short term, They are not absolute treatments. What you need to know is that you should not forget about the problem and skip visiting your dentist. What we recommend is picking up the phone right after you have applied one or more of these remedies to book an appointment with your dentist. 

Remember, you can always do that by calling us directly at (949) 364-9600 or by heading to our Contacts page by clicking here or on the banner below.