When you are pregnant, there are a lot of medications which are off limits, but what happens if you have a toothache and are desperate to get some relief? If you have been pregnant, or know someone who has, then you probably already know that there is only so much pain medication that can be administered when you are pregnant and in pain. With a baby growing inside you, virtually anything you put into your body can cross over the placenta and into your baby’s system. In fact, simple remedies such as fluoride treatments are enough to potentially harm your baby.
With that being said, you do not have to suffer if you are pregnant and have the joy of dealing with a toothache (as if you don’t have other aches and pains to worry about during pregnancy). In today’s article, we are here to bring you some very good news. We have 15 home remedies for toothache while pregnant, which you can make use of without harming the development of your baby. The best part is that these home remedies will allow you to a modest amount of relief so that you do not have to deal with the pesky pain
Though these are effective home remedies, but they are not all inclusive cures. For proper treatment and advice, you are best served to contact a dental care professional.
1. Salt Water or Saline Solution Rinse
Often times there are some home remedies that are the simplest and most effective. Using a salt water or saline solution rinse is one of the simplest solutions for toothache pain while pregnant. These solutions help to control the levels of bacteria in your mouth which tend to lead to inflammation as well as help to dislodge and get rid of food particles and debris in your mouth.
What to do:
- Dissolve ½ tsp of salt or ½ tsp of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water.
- Swish 1 Tbsp or so of the solution around your mouth, pulling it between your teeth for 15 to 20 seconds before spitting it out.
- Repeat this process until all of the solution in the glass is gone.
- You can make use of this remedy several times per day as necessary
When you do a saline or salt water rinse, you want to be sure to do it a couple of times a day. If you know you have a tooth that bothers you, then you want to do the rinse when you wake up. Getting ahead of the pain is one of the best ways of keeping it at bay. Toothaches happen when there is a bacterial irritation. Because of this, it is also best to do a saline rinse after each meal as well. This will help get rid of some of the bacterial buildups.
2. Ginger, Lemon and Honey Rinse
Getting relief from toothache while pregnant can also be accomplished through the mixture of several common household ingredients: ginger, lemon and honey. These ingredients have antibacterial properties to help get rid of inflammation causing bacterial and the acidic environment they thrive in.
What to do:
- Place 1 Tbsp of fresh sliced ginger in 1 ½ cups of boiling water.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Cover and allow the tea to cool.
- Strain out the slices of ginger, add 1 tsp of lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of honey.
- Use the cooled solution to rinse your mouth as shown in the home remedy above.
Much like a saline and salt water rinse, you want to be sure that you do a ginger, lemon, and honey rinse before the pain sets in. Being proactive will allow you to get rid of some of the bacterial buildups that will cause you pain.
3. Sage Tea
Also among the home remedies which you can use in order to rid yourself of a toothache while you are pregnant is sage tea. Sage is known to help to reduce the production of saliva in your mouth as well as acting as an antibacterial agent.
What to do:
- Brew 1 Tbsp of fresh sage (salvia) or 1 tsp of dried sage in 1 cup of boiling water.
- Remove from heat, cover and allow the tea to steep for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Strain out the tea and use it to rinse your mouth as directed in the salt water rinse above.
4. Clove Oil
A spice which you are probably familiar with in both your kitchen and your dentist’s office is clove oil. When you have a toothache while pregnant, clove is one of the most effective home remedies available with its anesthetic and anti-inflammatory qualities numbing the affected area.
What to do:
- Chew a couple of whole cloves and hold them next to the affected area in your mouth for several minutes until the pain is numbed.
- As an alternative, you can add a few drops of clove essential oil to a piece of gauze or cotton and hold it next to the affected area to bring relief.
5. Cold Compress
A quick and simple home remedy to bring relief to a toothache while you are pregnant is the use of a cold compress. Not only does a cold compress help to reduce inflammation, but it also helps to numb the affected area as well.
What to do:
- Place a couple of ice cubes in a thin cloth or handkerchief.
- Hold the cold compress against your cheek nearest to the affected area for several minutes until the pain subsides.
- You can repeat this remedy as often as necessary to bring pain relief.
6. Guava Leaves
This is not a common home remedy in every home, but if you keep guava leaves in your home, they are certainly among the best herbs for bringing relief to toothaches while you are pregnant. Guava leaves work similar to clove by reducing inflammation and numbing the area of pain.
What to do:
- You can make tea from fresh or dried guava leaves and use it as a rinse, just like we have discussed above.
- You can also chew on fresh guava leaves to bring instant relief.
7. Garlic
Though it might not freshen your breath, garlic is highly effective at soothing toothache while you are pregnant. Rich in a phytonutrient known as allicin, garlic has antibacterial properties with a soothing effect that helps to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation and get rid of pain.
What to do:
- Peel and crush a fresh garlic clove.
- Wrap the crushed garlic in a piece of gauze and hold it between your teeth for 7 to 10 minutes.
- As an alternative, you can make a tea rinse out of garlic using a recipe similar to ginger, lemon and honey, which we already discussed.
8. Black Tea
Another home remedy to bring relief to a toothache while you are pregnant comes from black tea. The tannins in black tea help to reduce the inflammation and pain surrounding the affected tooth and bring relief.
What to do:
- Brewing black tea and making use of it as a mouth rinse is certainly one option available.
- You can also soak a black tea bag in warm water until it is saturated and then hold the tea bag between your teeth for 7 to 10 minutes.
9. Onion
A toothache while pregnant needs special attention and it needs it fast. Onions provide another of the best home remedies available in your kitchen. The juice of the onion is a natural antiseptic which can help cleanse the area, reduce swelling and bring pain relief.
What to do:
- Extract the juice of a small, raw onion.
- Dip a cotton ball in the juice and hold it between your teeth for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can chew an onion slice and then hold it between your teeth.
- Repeat either of these remedies as often as necessary.
10. Peppermint Leaves
Another common household herb that makes a great home remedy for toothache while you are pregnant is peppermint. Peppermint leaves have a soothing, pain relieving quality to them that cools and numbs the affected area.
What to do:
- Peppermint tea from fresh or dried leaves or from a tea bag can be brewed and used as a rinse.
- Alternatively, you can simply chew a few peppermint leaves and then hold them between your teeth for 7 to 10 minutes.
- You can also repeat this remedy as often as necessary until you obtain relief.
11. Basil Leaves
A cousin to peppermint, basil can also combat toothache pain while pregnant. Also effective at bringing soothing relief, basil helps to reduce inflammation and works as an antiseptic as well.
What to do:
- A paste can be made from equal parts of fresh crushed basil leaves and peppercorn.
- Apply the past to the affected area and allow it to sit for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Alternative home remedies using basil leaves include a tea rinse or simply chewing on fresh basil leaves.
- You can repeat any of these remedies as often as necessary.
12. Spinach Leaves
The food which makes Popeye strong also brings powerful toothache pain relief while you are pregnant. Similar to basil, the vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients in spinach have anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties which make spinach an excellent home remedy.
What to do:
- Spinach can be used in any of the various way we discussed concerning peppermint and basil leaves already.
- Spinach can be used as often as you like to help bring pain relief.
13. Carom Seeds
Another anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredient which can be used as a home remedy for toothache whileyou are pregnant is carom or ajwain seed. Known to help promote excellent oral hygiene, these seeds can bring quick relief to your pain.
What to do:
- Add ½ tsp of carom seeds to 1 cup of boiling water to create a tea for rinsing as directed in several remedies above.
- An alternative is to crush carom seeds with basil, spinach or peppermint leaves and apply the resulting paste to the affected area.
- You can also inhale the smoke of burning carom seeds to obtain pain relief.
14. Wheatgrass
One of the best home remedies to stop toothache pain while pregnant comes from the natural properties of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a natural antibiotic which also helps to draw out toxins and reduce inflammation causing the pain.
What to do:
- Rinsing with the juice extracted from fresh wheatgrass and a ½ tsp of salt is one way to make use of this powerful herb.
- Chewing wheat grass and holding the pulp between your teeth for 7 to 10 minutes is another alternative use.
15. Vanilla Extract
Everybody has vanilla extract in their kitchen, which makes it a readily available home remedy for toothache while you are pregnant. The oil from the vanilla bean along with the alcohol content in the extract combine to form an antiseptic and analgesic to help relieve the pain as well as its underlying bacterial cause.
What to do:
- Place 3 to 4 drops of vanilla extract on a cotton ball or piece of gauze and hold it between your teeth for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat this as often as necessary until the pain subsides.
16. Cold Compress
If you are in need of a quick solution, then the good old cold compress will do the trick as well. Unlike the other options listed on our list, a cold compress will not do much to help you get rid of some of the bacteria causing the infection. Instead, the cold compress will numb some of the pain, by cooling off the inflamed area. If the pain is too much, then you may want to opt for a cold compress first and then try any one of the options listed above. This way, you can be as proactive as possible to get rid of the
Conclusion
Because of the dangers posed to fatal development, some pain relievers for toothache pain while you are pregnant are simply not an option. If you need quick pain relief you can make use of one or more of our 15 home remedies for toothache while you are pregnant in order to avoid any complications which might come with stronger medications. If you have additional remedies to add, have comments or questions, please add them in the section below.
Images: depositphotos.com.