The dentist is probably one of the least favorites of all doctors. No one thinks of their teeth more than twice a day when they brush their teeth or when they have a terrible toothache. Cavities aren’t the only cause for toothaches; it could be caused by a wisdom tooth growing out at the back of your jaw. This refers to the third and last molar on both sides of the upper and lower jaw. If you remember your teething days as an infant, you will recall how debilitating this pain can be. Therefore, finding wisdom tooth pain relief is something dentists often have to deal with.

Some ways of finding wisdom tooth pain relief are as follows:

Saline mouthwash
Using warm water to rinse your mouth has similar benefits to a heat pack. It improves blood circulation and relaxes the jaw muscles. It also speeds up healing of the tissues damaged by the growing tooth. To benefit from this way of getting wisdom tooth pain relief, mix a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of salt and swish this in your mouth for one minute before spitting it out into the sink. This can be repeated as many times as necessary during the day.

Benzocaine
As a wisdom tooth grows, it pushes against the skin, covers it and damages it. Numbing the skin in this area could thus help provide wisdom tooth pain relief.Benzocaine is a gel-based anesthetic that can be spread over the painful area to numb it and relieve pain caused by the growing wisdom tooth. To improve the effectiveness of this anesthetic, you should dry the area before spreading the gel. Benzocaine can be applied as many times as necessary during the day.

Clove
Cloves are a rich source of a natural antiseptic and anesthetic known as eugenol. Cloves can be used in many different ways to provide wisdom tooth pain relief such as sucking on a clove, ground cloves and clove oil. One of the advantages of using cloves to get pain relief is that it has no side effects. Additionally, cloves are always easily available in every kitchen. If you want to use clove oil, mix a few drops of this oil with a teaspoon of olive oil and soak a cotton ball in this mixture. Rinse your mouth with saline water before placing this cotton on the affected part of your jaw.

Baking soda
When a wisdom tooth grows, the tissue around it gets inflamed. This increases the risk of infections and aggravates the pain. To get some wisdom tooth pain relief make a paste of baking soda and a little toothpaste. Apply this directly to the tooth to provide immediate pain relief. Baking soda helps alleviate pain caused by a wisdom tooth as it has anti-microbial properties that reduce inflammation.

Apple cider vinegar
Raw apple cider vinegar has a number of health benefits. One of these is its ability to provide pain relief. To benefit from this, soak a wad of cotton in apple cider vinegar and place it directly on the tooth that hurts. Though it may not be tasty, try and keep it in place for at least 10 minutes.

Cool pack
Applying a cold pack numbs the area and lowers blood flow to the affected area. This also helps reduce inflammation and provides wisdom tooth pain relief. A cold pack can be made by wrapping an ice cube in a piece of cloth or by freezing a vegetable such as a potato and placing a slice of it on the affected tooth. Keep the cold pack in the affected place for up to 20 minutes. Alternatively, you could use the juice of a chilled cucumber as a mouthwash to reduce the swelling.

The above solutions can help provide relief from toothaches caused by a wisdom tooth, but often such relief is temporary. If the tooth is growing sideways or is impacting the alignment of other teeth in your mouth, a dentist will often advise surgery to remove the wisdom tooth. This surgery is typically performed while the patient is under local or general anesthesia.

The pain and swelling may continue after the surgery. You may also experience a little bleeding. However, this should resolve itself within 3 to 4 days. During this time, you should not consume any solid foods, caffeine, sodas or alcohol. Prescription painkillers can help reduce this pain. After a few days, you may start eating soft foods. You may also start brushing and flossing your teeth as long as you follow the doctor’s advice as closely as possible. Complications are rare, but if you notice any problems such as severe tooth pain, fever or pus discharging from the area where the tooth was removed from, consult your dentist immediately.