The teeth are an amazing balance of form and function, aesthetic beauty and engineering. Good teeth are an important part of one’s health and appearance. Toothache is a common problem.
Causes and Symptoms
A toothache may be sharp, throbbing, shooting, or constant. If the tooth is not properly treated, it will eventually have to be extracted.
The main cause of toothache is tooth decay which results from a faulty diet Perhaps the greatest curse and cause of tooth decay is the consumption of candy, soft drinks, pastries, refined carbohydrates, and sugar in all forms. Bacteria in the mouth break sugar down into acids, which combine with the calcium in the enamel to cause decay or erosion.
Remedies
Garlic: Garlic is one of most effective of several home remedies for toothache. A clove of garlic with a little rock salt should be placed on the affected tooth. It will relieve the pain and, sometimes, may even cure it. A clove should also be chewed daily in the morning. It will make the teeth strong and healthy.
Onion: Latest research has confirmed the bactericidal properties of onion. If a person consumes one raw onion every day by thorough mastication, he will be protected from a host of tooth disorders. Chewing raw onion for three minutes is sufficient to kill all the germs in the mouth. Toothache is often allayed by placing a small piece of onion on the bad tooth or gum.
Lime: Lime, as a rich source of vitamin C, is useful in maintaining the health of the teeth and other bones of the body. It prevents decay and loosening of the teeth, dental caries, toothache, and bleeding of the gums.
Wheat Grass: The juice of wheat grass acts as an excellent mouthwash for tooth decay and toothache. Wheat grass can be chewed with beneficial results. It draws out toxins from the gums and thus checks bacterial growth.
Asafoetida: The use of asafoetida has been found useful in alleviating toothache. It should be pestled in lemon juice and slightly heated. A cotton swab should be soaked in this lotion and placed in the cavity of the tooth. It will relieve pain quickly.
Bay Berry: A paste of the bark of bay berry should be made with vinegar. This paste, applied on the affected tooth, will relieve the toothache. It can also be applied beneficially on the gums for strengthening them.
Clove: The use of a clove in toothache reduces pain. It also helps to decrease infection due to its antiseptic properties. Clove oil, applied to a cavity in a decayed tooth, also relieves toothache.
Pepper: A mixture of a pinch of pepper powder and a quarter teaspoon of common salt is an excellent dentrifice. Its daily use prevents dental caries, foul breath, bleeding from the gums, painful gums, and toothaches. It cures the increased sensitiveness of the teeth. A pinch of pepper powder mixed with clove oil can be put on the caries to alleviate the toothache. Dietary Considerations
Diet plays a vital role in dental health. The condition of the teeth after they are formed depends upon the foods one eats from day to day. Dental decay, the destruction of the bone around the teeth, and infection of the gums can be prevented with an appropriate diet.In fact, with a proper diet the teeth and jaw bones can be made harder and healthier as the years go by.
It is important to restrict one’s sugar intake, and to ensure that the diet includes plenty of raw vegetables and wholewheat bread. Whole foods are ideal for the teeth. Fibreless refined foods allow particles to accumulate on the teeth in a sticky mass where they can do great harm. The gums need friction to keep them firm and whole foods also help remove plaque. They are therefore called ‘detergent foods’ by some dentists.
In preventing tooth decay, what one eats is no doubt important but equally important is when one eats. Frequent small snacks are very harmful to teeth, as they produce an acid medium in which the bacteria thrive. The number of times one eats sugar is one of the most important factors in determining the rate of decay. For this reason, it is better to eat sweets at the end of a meal rather than between meals.
Other Measures
Proper cleaning of the teeth is very essential to prevent tooth decay and consequent toothache. There are many theories on how best to clean the teeth. The consensus of dental opinion, however, seems to back using a circular motion with the brush, so as to ensure that all dental surfaces are cleaned. One should not be afraid to touch the gums with the brush, as this gentle stimulation improves the blood circulation in the gums.