# toothache on a holiday weekend...



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

again! i seem to get the holiday dental blues quite frequently. nothing is as bad as having a bad toothache on a three day holiday weekend...unless, of course, it is a four day holiday weekend.  this happened once during labor day weekend and i ended up going to the emergency room because i couldn't stand the pain...couldn't lay down to sleep etc.

anyhow, i have lots of dental issues that i have been addressing little by little during the past two months. i just couldn't get them all in time. i finished a second course of amoxycillin a week ago. i started the first course about a month ago, had dental work and was given a back-up script in case the pain/abscess came back before i could get back in to have more work done. the pain came back and i took the second round of antibiotics. now they are gone, it feels like i am getting an infection again with ear pain and eustachian tube issues and i am stuck until wednesday at the earliest until i can see my dentist. 

i ran out of codeine for the pain, but ibuprofen does a decent job...until the infection gets real bad. i was wondering if anyone had any ideas for self-treating the infection? ignoring an infection is not something i would normally do, and by that i mean not seeing a doctor, but without going to the ER, i am stuck until wednesday.


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

CoQ10 is always the first thing for teeth. Just bite open a capsule and squirt it all over the gum and tooth. If I have an actual infection then I use colloidal silver. Oregano oil is anti-inflammatory, but it burns a lot if you put it in the mouth. Some brave people use that too, but I don't use it raw in the mouth.


----------



## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Use the search function in this Forum, you will find many suggestions.


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

For dental pain first off get an ice bag on it. Clove oil is used by dentists for dental pain, it is part of the packing in the hole when you have a tooth out. Put a drop on cotton and pack it in. You can make clove tea (tea ball with whole cloves, simmer for 10 mins or so) and swirl that around in your mouth. It should also relax you and help you to sleep. 

Vit C and E to help kill infection. A glass of red wine swirled around in your mouth is antibiotic (just don't overdo!) and will help with pain too. Keep in mind any reactions with alcohol and any drugs you are taking. 

Raw garlic is a good antibiotic too. Peel a clove and put it where the infection is. If you don't cut it, it shouldn't burn, just tuck it in your cheek. I keep chewing them up and then they tend to burn, I can't resist, I love garlic!


----------



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

thanks granny. garlic is a good idea. this is kinda what i was looking for. i don't need help with the pain, but i want ideas to help fight infection via nutrition or other alternative means. already loading up on vitamins and such.

clove oil is no joke. i used it to numb my leg and cut out a tick this summer.


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

One thing to help with infections is to cut sugar out of your diet. Sugar feeds infection. :\ 

Another thing you can try is Aloe Vera taken internally. You can get Aloe Vera juice to drink. I read that in Africa they put it in their poultry water as an antibiotic and it works well. Sounds good to me!


----------



## Ruralnurse (Jun 23, 2011)

I would not wish a tooth ache on my worst enemy. When I worked as a RN in the ER we saw lots of people with emergency dental pain. Often it is an infection and you will need antibiotics. However as far as things to do until you can get in --

As already mentioned clove oil. We had tiny bottles of clove oil just like you buy in the store in the ER and the doc would dip a q-tip in the bottle and put it right on the sore tooth.

Ibuprofen. Most people do not take this correctly for pain. It is an anti-inflamatory and that is why it works well for dental pain. Most dental pain is an inflamation. But if you just take some when your teeth start to hurt it is hard to get on top of the pain. If it does not bother your stomach take 400 mg every 4 hours *or* 600 mg every 6 hours *or *800 mg every 8 hours. Don't skip doses, do it around the clock to keep on top of the pain. Take it with food if it causes upset stomach. This is ofcourse if you are not allergic to it and your kidneys are good. People take this by the handfulls because they think that because it is over the counter it is safe and then they kill the kidneys.

Ad tylenol (acetaminophen). Again if you have no allergies to it or a bad liver. Many people do not know that you can take these two together. Infact for people with really high fevers we give them (tylenol and ibuprofen)at the same time as they work better together than each individually. 

If I had a bad tooth ache and could not get in right away I would use clove oil on the sore tooth as needed, start taking ibuprofen 600 mg every 6 hours and in between take tylenol 650 mg every 4 hours around the clock. 

I have also heard that a regular black tea bag that has been steeped next to the gum of the sore tooth can be helpful.

Good luck

Ruralnurse


----------

