Home Remedies For Abscessed Teeth? Not So Much...
Over the last thirty-plus years, I have seen dozens of patients who have tried to cure their dental abscesses (infections) using home remedies. Not surprisingly, home cures for dental abscesses reside all over the web. None the remedies I Googled reliably cure infections (there are always rare exceptions), and none have any scientific validity. In light of this, most of the sites devoted to home cures encourage their readers to seek dental care; this is important as dental infections can get quite serious. Some sites understand those home treatments are only palliative and encourage their readers to seek immediate dental care. Unfortunately, some of the sites shamefully lead their readers to believe that they don't need to go to the dentist and that the cures will work. Dr. Google should not replace good medical and dental care.
I want to state for the record that I am a proponent of using botanicals to help treat numerous conditions. Allicin from garlic and sulforaphane from cruciferous are two great examples of botanicals that are effective in treating a variety of illnesses. But the claim that they are a reliable cure for a dental abscess is unfounded.
There are three types of dental infections:
Periapical Abscess
2 Periapical Infections Circled In Red
Periapical abscesses involve infections deep within the jaws around the tips of the roots of the teeth. Antibiotics alone will not cure them. They occur after deep cavities and trauma. The soft tissue within the tooth becomes infected and eventually dies. The infection then leaves the opening at the tip of the root and spreads to the jaw. The infectious process and subsequent inflammatory response can result in throbbing, pain to heat, pain to biting pressure, swelling, and bone loss. Sometimes the abscess goes unnoticed because no symptoms appear. An extraction or root canal is the standard treatment recommendations. As you can see in the x-ray above, the infection is very deep inside the bone and no oral applications can penetrate that far, and therefore, all are useless.
Periodontal Abscess
Periodontal abscess Inside CIrcle
Periodontal abscesses involve the gums (gingiva) and bone around the tooth. They are mainly due to excessive plaque and tartar build-up under the gums in the presence of diets that include processed carbohydrates and/or smoking. Antibiotics alone can't cure them. Sometimes it is due to food impaction, in which case removing the food will cure the infection. The pathogenic germs produce toxins that destroy the gums and bone around the tooth, referred to as periodontal disease. Amazingly, this condition causes few overt symptoms, as it is generally a chronic condition. Sometimes it can flare up and become an acute infection where the primary symptoms are pain, swelling, and bleeding. Deep cleanings and surgery are the recommended treatments. As you can see from the x-ray above, they reside deep within the bone, and at-home treatments will not penetrate into the jaw to produce any curative effect.
Pericoronitis
Pericoronitis is a condition that occurs primarily around wisdom teeth that are not able to come in all the way. Incidentally, a wisdom tooth that does not entirely erupt is considered an impacted tooth. Frequently, when the tooth erupts partially, it is covered with a mobile flap of gum tissue. Food and germs can accumulate under the flap where it can be difficult or impossible to remove, and an infection can ensue. Debridement to alleviate the symptoms while the teeth erupt is the standard of care. Antibiotics alone can't cure them in most instances. If the teeth don't erupt fully, then extractions are indicated.
Many patients are unaware that the infections mentioned above are present. Only when they flare up, do they become apparent. Many people do not run to the doctor and dentist when symptoms first appear. Since most people don't floss, it is the first thing most people do when they notice pain and swelling in the mouth. Flossing away impacted food can alleviate symptoms and make the pain and swelling go away. I am a big fan of flossing. In the case of an acute flare-up of a chronic infection like a periapical abscess, flossing will make little difference. Because acute flare-ups tend to come and go, whatever intervention the patient is undertaking will erroneously be deemed the cure.
The sad fact is that even antibiotics won't heal most abscesses. Periodontal abscesses can respond to antibiotics, but won't heal. Pericoronitis has the best chance of responding to antibiotics, although the results are usually temporary. Yet the internet is full of at-home remedies for dental abscesses.
Here is a partial list that I compiled by Googling Home Cures For Dental Abscess:
Baking Soda and Salt
Garlic
Warm Salt Water
Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse
Potato
Turmeric
Black Tea Bag
Herbal Tea Bag
Fenugreek Tea
Guava Leaves
Wheatgrass
Thyme
Oregano Oil
Olive Oil
Sesame Seeds
Peppermint
Clove Oil
Oil Pulling
Apple Cider Vinegar
Calendula
Plantain
Papaya
Cold Compress
Echinacea
Goldenseal
Whiskey
Colloidal Silver
No studies back claims that any of the home cures in the list will cure dental abscesses. Many home cures have proven evidence-based antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, so they can certainly help. While they may alleviate symptoms and fight germs, they won't cure abscesses.
Dental professionals have prescription antibiotics at our disposal, but we don't expect them to cure dental infections. Here are a few reasons:
Periapical infections reside deep within the jaw bone. There is no way anything can penetrate over twenty millimeters into the jaw bone to do anything. The systemic effects they may possess are too weak to make any difference.
Periodontal infections usually involve toxic calcified plaque attached to the teeth below the gum line. Healing must involve its removal, which can take hours of hard work by professionally trained hygienists. If impacted food is the cause of the abscess, removing it is the best cure; all of the other home cures will be useless. The illustration below shows a periodontally involved tooth. Notice the calcified plaque on it. There is no known substance that can dissolve it. If the deposits remain, the disease will remain. The same logic applies to pericoronitis. If one can lift the flap and clean the plaque and food out, it can quiet down. Otherwise, no matter what the rinse is made from, rinsing the mouth will not do much.
I am not against using any of the remedies I have listed above as they may help. Many of them are proven adjuncts, but they more than likely won't cure dental abscesses. Anyone who advises you to use a teabag, olive oil, or any of those other things I listed to cure an infection is doing you no favors and could endanger you.
What can you do that actually works?
Prevention is the best cure. As you may know from many of my previous posts, regular dental visits and a nutrient-dense whole foods diet devoid of processed carbohydrates and seed oils is a practical guarantee that you will not develop an oral disease. Here is a quick-start guide if you want more information. Additionally, many dental offices are on call and can call in anti-inflammatories and antibiotics until they can see you for treatment.