4 Dental Woes Managed With At-Home Treatments

1 September 2015
 Categories: Dentist, Articles


If you have a dental problem and cannot see a dentist for several days, you need to find ways to manage the problem at home. Try at-home dental treatments to make you more comfortable until your appointment.

Control Bad Breath

When regular brushing and flossing is not enough, it is time to consider other approaches to bad breath. Make sure you are thoroughly brushing your tongue or using a tongue scraper to prevent odor-causing bacteria from accumulating on your tongue. Try incorporating natural antibacterial treatments into your oral care routine. Add a few drops of food-grade tea tree oil to an alcohol-free mouthwash before rinsing.

Sometimes bad breath is not a matter of oral hygiene or dental problems, but an underlying problem with your digestive system. Chronic acid reflux and stomach irritation can contribute to bad breath. Try incorporating peppermint tea into your diet to help soothe your stomach. Ginger is also effective for stomach upset and other gastrointestinal ailments.

Soothe Toothaches

If your toothache is caused by an underlying infection, try mixing half water and half peroxide to form a bacteria-killing mouth rinse. Minimizing the infection may help alleviate some of your pain. Peroxide is only a temporary solution and the infection will reoccur without treatment. Long-term use of peroxide can contribute to mouth irritation or the bacteria may become resistant to the effects of peroxide, making the infection more difficult to treat.

For toothaches associated with cavities, you can try adding clove or pepper oil to a piece of sterile gauze and applying the gauze to the affected tooth. Do not allow the oil to touch your gums to avoid irritation. Use the oil-soaked gauze until the pain subsides. You can repeat the treatment as often as necessary throughout the day.

Heal Mouth Sores

Without a thorough checkup, it can be difficult to determine the underlying cause of mouth sores. Taking a multivitamin regularly can alleviate some problems with chronic mouth sores if they are caused by a nutrient deficiency. If you are deficient in folic acid, the deficiency can manifest as mouth sores. Many foods are fortified with folic acid, such as breakfast cereal, bread, pasta and peanut butter, making it easy to incorporate more folic acid into your diet.

Consider adding extra vitamin C and zinc by using lozenges. Both vitamin C and zinc can promote healing. You can also increase your vitamin C by drinking orange juice or other citrus juices, if they do not cause additional mouth irritation. Try keeping your lozenges in the freezer or making mini ice cubes out of orange juice. The cold will also help numb the pain.

Stop Oral Thrush

A suppressed immune system or diabetes can make you more vulnerable to oral thrush. To help keep your oral bacteria and yeast in proper balance, incorporate more yogurt into your diet. Stick with sugar-free or plain yogurts, because the added sugar will facilitate yeast growth. When you are choosing a yogurt, look for varieties with live and active cultures including L. acidophilus. Eat your yogurt slowly and swish each spoonful around to coat different parts of your mouth.

Make sure you focus on areas of your mouth where yeast likes to hide, such as areas between your cheek and gums and under your tongue. Do not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes after you finish your yogurt to give the bacteria a chance to work. You may need to consume yogurt multiple times each day to notice any benefits. If you are lactose intolerant, try using plain yogurt as a mouthwash. Additionally, reducing your overall sugar and carbohydrate intake can help you keep thrush under control.

Many simple treatments can help you temporarily manage dental concerns. While you are waiting on your next dental appointment at places like Schererville Family Dentistry, PC, try a few at-home remedies to make you more comfortable.


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