The Surprising Food That Can Help Your Toothache

Toothaches may be one of the most physically annoying pains to deal with. It affects what you eat and drink and how you sleep. It can feel nearly impossible to just forget about the aching spot in your mouth and move on with your day. We understand you may feel desperate and try anything to alleviate the pain, but before you make an emergency trip to your dentist or throw down money on expensive oral gels, there could be something lying around in your kitchen that could come to the rescue.

Enter garlic. According to Medical News Today, the popular ingredient used in a variety of culturally diverse meals can be used to treat a toothache as well. It can help in both soothing and eliminating pain because it contains a compound called allicin. Allicin has a strong antibacterial quality that may help in killing bacteria, like the kind causing your tooth pain. But before you decide to sprinkle a little garlic powder on the affected area, Healthline notes that allicin is only found fresh garlic after it has been cut or crushed.

So how do you use garlic to ease tooth pain? Healthline recommends a few ways. You can either chew on the garlic clove, or make a paste by crushing the garlic in a mortar and applying it to the infected area with your finger or a cotton swab.

You may be saving both time and money with this method, but unfortunately, even natural home remedies can have their share of uncomfortable side effects. WebMD lists some of the potential side effects of chewing on garlic: bad breath, a burning sensation in the mouth or stomach, heartburn, gas, nausea, vomiting, body odor, and diarrhea.

If you've never been a fan of garlic even in your food, then this might not be the most desirable home remedy for a toothache. Luckily, there are other home remedies such as aloe vera, cloves, and peppermint tea that could come to the rescue, per Healthline. Just remember that at-home cures work shouldn't be a substitute for curing serious dental issues like an abscessed tooth. It may be smart to ring your dental healthcare provider to find out the best way to get cure any on-going tooth pain.