Teeth and Gums: Some Things I've Learned

There's a lot of stuff you can buy for toothache and cavities--some, like the soft putty-like patch you can put over a tooth when a filling comes out, can actually make the tooth hurt worse, as dirt gets in there and aggravates the tooth and stays in till you take the stupid patch out and clean it up.

When a filling is out, some tooth pain comes when food and bacteria get in the opening, so keeping teeth clean, and drinking water instead of acidic (which aggravates the decay), or sweet (which feeds the bacteria which aggravates the decay) drinks such as coffee or kool aids can help.

Iodine can be rubbed on sore teeth, but you need to rinse it out, as a lot of that is not meant for oral consumption.

Cinnamon Oil: it burns your lips, so it's generally locked up in health food stores, but just a few drops on the gums around a toothache or in case of a mild gum inflammation can help not only with the pain, but with the signs of infection such as red and swollen gums.

If you do use cinnamon oil, you will probably want to put some vegetable oil or some sort of emolient on your lips afterward, as lips do get burned! (Mine are shot right now.)

Cinnamon oil is easier on the stomach than another great (probably the greatest in my recent experience) toothache remedy: tea tree oil (from Australia's rainforest!). Tea tree oil is amazing at cleaning out bacteria, but use it sparingly if you do not need a lot. It can upset the stomach's balance of flora and fauna quite easily so take it with active yeast and yogurt.

Anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofrin or motrin) are another option, if the stomach can take these.

Milk as well as water is a great drink; slightly warmed milk may be less likely than cold to irritate teeth. Milk leaves a coating of calcium, which I prefer to a coating of greasy putty, and, though the coating is only temporary, the extra calcium in your system will probably help your teeth and supporting jaw bones.

No more suggestions, although a good communicative dentist might be some help, for a price in many cases, especially here in the U.S., quite a price.