13 Useful Home Remedies for Sensitive Teeth

It is true that the pain of any kind in the body is one way that the body uses to indicate that something is really not right in us. You might feel the pain at your back, or any of the joints, or might be the pain of a severe headache. However, a toothache is one of its kinds. Isn’t it? Someone having sensitive teeth must know that toothache is no joke! However, all the time it might not be possible to have a dental visit because of toothache due to sensitive teeth. So, what to do? Well! There are some home remedies that can actually help you till you book an appointment with your dentist. So, do you have sensitive teeth? Try these home remedies; that we have mentioned below.

It might be really a painful experience to eat or drink if you have sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth or tooth sensitivity is a common and treatable condition. A study of 2013 found that 1 in 8 people who visited dental practices have experienced sensitive teeth.⁽¹⁾

However, there are some home remedies that might help you in reducing symptoms of sensitive teeth. Let us explore them here.

Clove oil can work to relieve pain and also reduce swelling that occurs from toothache. This is an effective home remedy for sensitive teeth because of the presence of eugenol or a natural anesthetic that acts as a pain reliever on a temporary basis.

Simply soak up a few drops of the oil in a cotton ball and then rub the cotton ball gently over the affected teeth and gums.

Though clove oil might soothe your pain due to sensitive teeth, you need to be too aware that it does not have a pleasant taste.

A rinse with hydrogen peroxide can help to relieve pain and swelling occurring in the mouth. Apart from this, it can also help in killing bacteria, reduce plaque, and also heal bleeding gums.

A study that was published in the Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry has demonstrated that making use of hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash might reduce gingivitis.

Before using hydrogen peroxide rinse, be sure to prepare the solution correctly. Mix 3% hydrogen with equal parts of water. Swish this solution around your mouth.

However, be aware not to swallow it.

Rinsing the mouth with saltwater could always help you to relieve painful teeth and swollen gums due to sensitive teeth.

A study from 2017 found that a rinse with saltwater might be as effective as chlorhexidine mouthwash in the reduction of plaque.⁽²⁾

For using this as a remedy for sensitive teeth you need to add a couple of teaspoons of salt to one cup of warm water. Once you have swished this mixture around the mouth, just spit it out.

Capsaicin is the spicy substance that naturally occurs in the chili peppers. Though capsaicin can result in the burning sensation when an individual applies it to their gums or skin, it might also reduce pain.

The authors of a review from 2011 note that applying capsaicin can help in relieving certain types of pain.⁽³⁾ Though scientists are exactly unsure how this actually works; however, they believe that capsaicin might numb nerve fibers; making them less able to deliver pain signals. Applying capsaicin gel on the gums might alleviate pain caused due to sensitive teeth.

Oil pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic practice that has originated from India, and it involves swishing oil around the mouth for 20-30 minutes before spitting it out. Oil pulling with coconut oil can be a useful home remedy that might help you to reduce sensitive teeth and pain due to it.

A pilot study from the year 2015 support oil pulling shows that daily coconut oil pulling might reduce the formation of plaque and markers of gingivitis.⁽⁴⁾

There are significant benefits of oil pulling for gingivitis, which might, in turn, reduce the sensitive teeth. Research has suggested that tooth sensitivity is quite common among people having a gum recession that occurs due to gingivitis.⁽⁵⁾

Onions are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and can they can fight oral pathogens and also treat pain in teeth. You just need to chew a piece of onion for a few minutes or simply place it on the affected area and let it stay for 10 minutes. Doing this once or twice regularly would get you the desired results.

One of the most known home remedies for sensitive teeth is turmeric. This spice is an Ayurvedic remedy to reduce inflammation. Curcumin present in turmeric helps in relieving pain.

One small study of the year 2015 has found that a turmeric plant extract was as effective as ibuprofen to relieve the pain due to knee osteoarthritis. It can also help in reducing tooth pain and sensitive teeth.

You can prepare a paste by mixing turmeric in water and then rub the paste into the gums so as to help reduce tooth sensitivity and painful teeth. However, no scientific research is there to support this benefit of turmeric.

Garlic is known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial abilities that help in treating toothache and also fight oral pathogens.

You need to take a garlic clove, a pinch of salt and 1 ml of water and crush the garlic and add a few water drops and a pinch of salt to it to prepare a mixture. Now, rub this mixture on your sensitive teeth and leave it for 15 minutes before washing it off. Do this once in a day.

Guava leaves have flavonoids in them such as rutin and quercetin; both of which have got anti-inflammatory properties and hence a useful home remedy to help relieve sensitive tooth pain.

A review of 2017 on the health benefits of guava leaves points that extract rich in guava flavonoids to have significant benefits in soothing toothache because of their anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and anti-microbial properties.⁽⁶⁾

Take a few leaves of guava and properly wash them and chew them for 2 minutes and then spit them out. Do this 1-2 times regularly for a few days to get relief.

Tea tree oil has got anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects and it helps in enhancing your oral health.

Add 6 drops of tea tree oil and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and stir the mixture properly and then apply it to your affected area. Leave it for at least 10 minutes and then wash it off. Doing this twice daily would help you get relief from sensitive teeth.

NOTE: Do not swallow the oil mixture.

Peppermint oil has been historically used as a home remedy for treating toothaches. This is an essential oil with antibacterial properties that might reduce pain in teeth, and thus making it quite a popular choice for those who seek short-term relief from toothaches, until dental help is made possible.

Use a cotton ball for applying a few drops of peppermint oil on the affected area.

One can reduce the risk of cavities by using fluoride toothpaste. Using dental products that contain fluoride might reduce the risk of tooth cavities and might even help in minimizing sensitive teeth.

A review from 2013 has concluded that most of the fluoride preparations reduce sensitive teeth when people are using them alongside desensitizing treatments.⁽⁷⁾ There are various forms of fluoride treatment such as fluoride toothpaste, gel, and mouthwash.

Vitamins required for treating sensitive teeth are vitamin B and E. In case you are not getting enough of these vitamins, you need to take supplements. These two vitamins help in fighting inflammation of the affected area and also promote healthy teeth and gums. You need to consume a lot of foods rich in these vitamins, such as fish, spinach, almonds, kale, meat, poultry, turnip, eggs, and dairy products.

It is not just the home remedies that would help you get relief from sensitive teeth. You also need to follow some tips so as to prevent sensitive teeth. It’s actually important to handle teeth well so as to prevent an outbreak of sensitive teeth in the future. Let’s see some of the important tips for preventing sensitive teeth.

• Make use of a soft-bristled brush that would help you prevent the teeth from experiencing wear from abrasion.
• Make sure that you are brushing your teeth gently.
• Avoid grinding your teeth. This is because grinding teeth on each other cause them to wear and also break.
• Maintain good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day, make use of mouthwash, and floss your teeth.
• Make a regular visit to your dentist.

Apart from all the above tips you also need to note that you should avoid consuming certain foods like sodas, hot tea, ice cream, hot coffee, toffee, candy, ice, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and cold drinks; in case you are experiencing sensitive teeth.

It is true that sensitive teeth can actually bother you at times and you might feel excessive pain anytime in your teeth; and it is even true that you must visit your dentist in case you suffer from this condition. However, until you reach your dentist you can try out these home remedies that we talked about, for sensitive teeth and also follow the preventive tip that we talked about above.

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Also Read:

• Sensitive Teeth after Whitening: Know its Causes & Ways to Get Rid of it
• 10 Astonishing Causes of Sensitive Teeth