When you have a toothache, your first instinct may be to look on the internet to find a quick home remedy to ease your pain. There is no shortage of toothache home remedies that circulate on social networking websites, but which ones really work? Even more important, which ones are safe? It is important to ensure that any toothache home remedy you try not only works, but that it also doesn't harm your teeth or gums. Here are some popular remedies that people try today, and whether they are truly useful or not.

1. Aspirin Remedy

The aspirin home toothache involves taking a small tablet of aspirin and either placing it directly on your painful tooth or crushing it and mixing with water to form a paste to apply to your tooth.

This remedy will either not work at all or it will result in bad consequences. If the toothache is the result of a huge cavity or lost filling that allows the aspirin to actually come into contact with the nerve, it may dull the pain, but at a huge price. The aspirin will actually kill the nerve, which makes your tooth essentially "dead". A dead tooth, more formally called a necrotic tooth, will begin to darken to a very unsightly black or gray color.

If the toothache is not a result of a huge cavity that exposes the nerve of the tooth, then the aspirin will likely do nothing for the pain, and it will can burn your cheek or gum tissue due to the acidic nature of aspirin.

2. Clove or Oregano Oil Remedy

Another popular toothache home remedy is placing a drop or two of clove or oregano oil on the painful tooth. This is a safe remedy that may or may not work for you, but it will not harm your teeth.

Clove oil and oregano oil are both natural bacteria killers, and they can help if the cause of your toothache is a bacterial infection and the infection is close to the surface of your gum.

Since both oils cannot penetrate deep into the pulp of the tooth, they are more helpful for deeper cavities. Antibiotics will still be needed to relieve a tooth infection completely, but the oils can help tide you over until you can visit your dentist for proper treatment.

3. Garlic Remedy

The garlic toothache remedy involves biting down on a clove of garlic with the painful tooth or placing the garlic in your cheek next to the tooth. If your taste-buds can handle it, then this remedy can help slightly.

Garlic, similar to oregano or clove oil, is anther natural bacteria-fighter due to a component in it called allicin. It is also has such a potent flavor and smell that it may cause you to focus so much on these aspects that you become distracted from the pain.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy

Apple cider vinegar enthusiasts tout is as a cure-all for almost any ailment, and it can have health benefits when used in cooking and consumed when diluted with water. One place it should not be used is in your mouth, and it is not a good home remedy for a toothache.

Some enthusiasts advise swishing a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water in your mouth to relieve a toothache or, even worse, pure apple cider vinegar. This vinegar contains a high concentration of acetic acid. Swishing with apple cider vinegar, even diluted, several times a day in an attempt to dull tooth pain will erode your tooth enamel, which is never good.

The best way to relieve a toothache is to visit your dentist for proper treatment immediately. If you cannot get to a dentist immediately for some reason, then make and appointment with a place like Schererville Family Dentistry, PC and be sure the home treatment you are using to tide you over until your dentist's appointment is safe for your teeth.