Nothing can bring a big pro football lineman to his knees faster than a toothache. The pain shoots up from the tooth through the jaw bone and consumers that whole side of one’s face. The brain becomes focuses on only one thing. That is stopping the pain.

Words like excruciating, agonizing, harrowing, racking, tormenting, torturing, torturous have all been used to describe when that protective shell on a tooth gets a hole, whether by decay or other means. Then a nerve becomes irritated. The human mind and body becomes focused only on one thing, STOPPING the PAIN!!

Not much has been written in writing over than a couple hundred years ago, about the subject of dealing with toothaches. They recommend the use of some form of narcotic  for the relief of the pain. I imagine that many men and women were called mad over their reactions to what we call a toothache. 

My hometown dentist rarely believed in numbing or deadly a tooth before extraction. Of course we all suspected that is a bit of a sadist. Fortunately, modern dentist are a bit more compassionate. They are a lot quicker to relieve the pain of a suffering patient.

The trip to any dentist is usually is a couple of days out, unless you want to pay extra. That is usually $40 and up depending on how much the dentist hates getting extra patients in his or her day. In the mean time there are several options.

The most common one is found in grocery store, drug stores, and most convenience stores. I am talking about a topical jell or cream that you rub on the gums next to that oh so painful tooth. The most common brand name is OraJel.

Orajel has been around for quite some time. I can remember them as a kids. They have different products for adults and babies who are teething.

This quick temporary pain relief comes at a hefty price of $8 to $10 for a small tube that is less than 1 ounce. The reason why they don’t sell it in any large sizes, is because it is meant only for temporary relief. Not for any long term solution.

Clove oil is known as a essential oil. Through out history it has been used by dentists to relieve pain and fight infection. Today, it is a common ingredient in several over-the-counter toothache medications and a popular home remedy for toothaches.

A 1/8 of an ounce bottle of clove oil will run you $2.19. That is a lot less than the other jells or creams. Actually it is my personal favorite. It does not kill the pain right away, but it does have a lasting affect.

Tags: Cloves, OraJel, Toothache