I have a half way broken tooth on bottom L side, 2nd to last tooth. I was eating bacon yesterday, when I bit down, a small piece of bacon went straight down! Talk about some pain! Well now my gum around the tooth is swollen. I got on amoxicillin today. I was taking extra strength excedrin today, it helped but the pain is back:( So I rolled up a piece of cotton, dipped it in eugonel/clove oil, ambesol, and put sensodyne pronanel of tooth with brush. Put cottonball in and it took pain away for about 10 mins.

Tried everything I could for an abscess on my gum to relieve pain and pressure until I can get into the dentist, which thanks to a previous dental issue, I can't afford to do for another 3 weeks. I have a large abscess that was very painful and wouldn't drain. I didn't dare lance it as I have no idea where nerves in there run. What finally worked for me to opening it up was to soak a green tea bag in hot salt water. After a few minutes I squeezed the bag out and rolled it up, cutting the string off and tucking the staple side inside the roll. Then sprinkle a little more salt on the exterior of the damp bag before tucking it in between my lip and gum overnight. Had it in 1 night before being awakened by a sharp ripping sensation in the area of the abscess. I got up and took the bag out and checked the mirror only to see a large amount of drainage. I rinsed out with salt water followed by peroxide. It hasn't puffed back up yet, but I'm sure it will. Happy to be out of pain even if it's short lived until I can get it fixed professionally. If you're in a lot of pain from an abscess that won't drain: Try a salted green tea bag overnight. It's the only thing that has helped me.

I wanted to edit my post below but thought it might be better to add this remedy. Ive been doing more and more research on general health. Ive had 3 abcesses. I also have candida which I believe is intertwined into most of my own health issues including these infections and others I've been dealing with. Ive added a clove of raw garlic a day to my diet. Not fun to eat because it burns. Very next day Ive got die off issues and excess mucus. I lost 5lbs in about a week and a half after starting. Also this completely cleared up my recurrent bacterial infection in just a few days and I was absolutely shocked bc antibiotics only worked for a week. Try it or research it!

SOMETHING THAT WORKED- !!
Wolk up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain …in my jaw where I once had a root canal. Had been told by my dentisit that I had the beginnings of an abcess and should take antibiotics . Not my style so I ignored it. I now had to deal with it my self. I immediately did some oil pulling using pure sesame oil for about 20 mins (that is squishing about 1-2Tablespoons around the mouth) to draw out any toxins, bacteria . While i was doing that i externally applied a castor oil massaging it over that area…. After 20 mins I rinsed out my mouth really well and swallowed an oregano oil capsule (natural antibiotic. I then used clove powder to massage over the painful spot inside my mouth till it felt numb. Before I went back to bed I tucked between my teeth and gums in that spot a small clove of garlic with the thin layer of its skin still intact (otherwise it would burn)… got into bed and slept like a baby. YAY!

Head down on hands and knees with smallest diameter possible garden hose (hard threaded end cut off for softness) in mouth behind tooth facing outward (do not choke - do not attempt alone) so warm water goes out, cold hits gum behind tooth from within mouth. Can make gross sounds to vibrate and resonate pain away and reduce swelling with carrying heat away

So I have had 3 abcesses/infections so far. I found the best treatment to start with is to water fast. Drink only water. Absolutely no sugar as this is what feeds bacteria. I know its hard, but the longest you can go without eating is best because the bacteria need food. Starve it and the infection can't spread very far. If you can get antibiotics that is great. If you are absolutely desperate and do not have the money to go to a Dr. Go to a vet supply store and buy fish mox or fish antibiotic pills (buying online may take too long). These are essentially the same pills just packaged differently. Please do the research and you will see. They are the same thing without a prescription. Google for dosages. I took a stong enzyme supplement (got mine from vitamin shoppe) that included a lot of protease enzymes (don't take with food and may cause nausea if you take too much) This works synergistically with antibiotics. I found hot salt water worked very well to bring the abcess to a head or at least to where I could lance/puncture it to drain. I would also soak a cotton ball in it and put it between my cheek and infected tooth. I tried a lot of other remedies on this site, but didnt find they helped very much at all. For pain, I took 400mg of ibuprofen/advil every 2 and half hours when it was at its worst. I tried not to use too much as its bad for the liver and stomach. I don't recommend alcohol as this kills your beneficial bacteria that can help you get over the infection.

Be patient. It will pass. If it really swells up to the size of a baseball don't wait to go to ER. I highly recommend epsom salt baths just to relieve the stress this causes. I know the pain is hard to handle.


Remember to take probiotics after or during antibiotic use to replenish beneficial bacteria. I use VSL #3, kefir and eat yogurt on a daily basis. This will help if you experience recurrent infections like I did. Can't stress enough to stop eating sugar and brush and floss teeth well. Carb specific diet or GAPS diet is something you could look into afterward as well.

I bit down 5 days ago on hard piece of candy and 2 days later my face swollen and my tooth was infected....I didn't want to spend the money for the ER...So the first day and 2nd day I took Aleve and an IB proprhene...(not together) and but by 3rd day pain was gone but swelling still hadn't went away completely so I looked up home rememedies....so I bought ordorless Garlic pills once an hour for the about 4 hours and then I also opened one of the pills and spread it on the infected tooth. I also took some Echinacea 1 an hour for 4 hours and I also spread one of the pills on infected tooth and drunk detox tea and by the end of the 4 hours it was gone.

Here is my story.
Chipped my tooth on a piece of bone aeting a chop at a bbq, it hurt a bit at the time but after a day or 2 it had settled down.
Well the pain would come and go over the next month but after a couple of asprin/ibuprofen it would go away again.
Until 1 horrible morning a woke up with a massive pain and swelling under said tooth.I took a heap of painkillers and made it through the day,the next day I had lost feeling from my chin and bottom lip and the pain and swelling was worse.I tried these home remedies clove oil(vile),salt water,heat packs,cold packs etc etc I would have even sacrificed my cat to satan to make this pain go away.
I could not eat or sleep for 2 days and every time my heart beat I could feel it in my jaw(I have been stabbed twice and been in car wrecks breaking bones)this pain was THE WORST I have ever had.
After the 3rd night of no solid food and little to no sleep I looked and felt like a zombie.My girlfriend forced me to go to the dentist.
The x ray showed a small abscess on chipped tooth but because I left it so long a huge abscess was on the next tooth over.He numbed me and drilled through my good tooth to the large pile of soul crushing pus it erupted like a volcano he washed it out then capped it,he removed the chipped tooth(to far gone)and again it sprang forth a river of pus,after more rinsing ,draining
I was sent on my way with a prescription for antibiotics and a steroid dexamethasone.
After the numbing wore off the pain returned with a vengeance I took the pills twice recommened dose and in 2 hrs the pain was almost gone,within 48 hr the swelling was gone and so was the pain,i got full feeling back in my lip and chin in 5-6 days.
The pain I felt was unbearable and a result of the infection pressing directly on the nerve no amount of clove oil will fix this or the reason for the infection(ie chipped tooth)I never want to go through this again nor would I wish it on anyone.
See a DOCTOR or DENTIST or you too will be here warning others of 3 days and nights of torture and sleep deprivation.

Ive tried the warm salt water. The asprin. hot and cold compress on outside of face. I did the tea tree oil. Worked for about 8 hrs. then came back most of day. Did the red cross. Try dipping a moist cotton ball in baking soda and putting on infected tooth. I got a lot of relief. its not all gone. But enough where I can lay down.

In my youth, I got a filling on my lower right second molar, I'm now 25 and the filling fell out at some point leaving a large hole that's been gradually getting bigger. A couple of days ago, the root must've became exposed because it started causing excruciating pain. My dentist could not get me in until later this afternoon, so in the mean time, last night, I tried basically ALL of the suggestions on here that were possible for me.

Dental wax is not something they sell in my tiny town, so that was not an option.

I started the process with 2 extra strength Excedrin migraine (acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine).

After brushing my teeth very well, and rinsing with warm salt water, it felt better but not dramatically by any means.

I tried to swish a shot of whiskey rather unsuccessfully, so I applied whiskey to a cotton swab and let it soak it in the hole in the tooth.

This felt better for about 10 minutes and i had to rinse or I was going to vomit due to the taste of whiskey kicking it in my mouth.

Next I let peppermint oil soak on a cotton swab and let it sit on the hole for about 3 minutes. And was tired of temporary relief, so I did the same thing with general orajel. I also accidentally got orajel on the lower palate of my mouth so I just swished with the rest of it and spit it out. My whole mouth was numb, but the pain was gone.

I finally felt able to eat something, because I hadn't been eating, so I ate a plain cheese (cheddar) sandwich because I read both bread and cheese help.

After I could feel the orajel had worn off, the pain was gone and it is 11:30am today (17 hours after the long process) and still feel no pain.

Part of me wants to cancel my dentist appointment because I HATE THE DENTIST but I know the pain will come back, so while I still have insurance, and money left from tax returns, I'll buck up and go.

I'm not sure which part actually helped because I tried so many things out of desperation, but something helped, and that's what matters!