# I chipped a tooth- pain relief suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328 "2003-11-20T17:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![angelicate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@angelicate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/angelicate)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/1 "2003-11-20T17:17:36Z")
Apparently, I grind my teeth in my sleep, and in doing so, I chipped a bit of my front tooth the other night. I went to the dentist the next day, and he basically told me that it’s a tiny chip, they can’t do much about it, and that since it chipped down to the dentin, it’s going to be sore for a couple of days until it becomes desensitized. In the meantime, my mouth is killing me. That one tooth is making my entire face hurt. It was okay yesterday, for some reason, but it hurts like hell again today. Is there any OTC remedy I can use, or are my only options sitting it out, or asking for a prescription? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/2 "2003-11-20T17:33:55Z")
Anbesol. I can’t tell you how good that stuff is. Take it from a man who destroyed a tooth, had a root canal, and had a crown put on in the last 6 months. Really, an astonishingly good topical painkiller. I worship it. ---
**Author:** ![angelicate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@angelicate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/angelicate)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/3 "2003-11-20T17:48:57Z")
I’ve got a tube of extra strength Oragel, aren’t they similar, or is the Anbesol even bette? The Oragel isn’t even denting the pain. I have some Anbesol, but it’s for my infant daughter, so I don’t really think the strength is up to par. ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/4 "2003-11-20T18:22:59Z")
I second the Anbesol. That stuff is the only thing I have ever found to make any kind of mouth-related pain more bearable (well, other than whiskey;) ). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/5 "2003-11-20T18:30:12Z")
They used Oil Of Cloves in Marathon Man. There’s no way Hollywood would lie to us. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/6 "2003-11-20T18:36:25Z")
Orajel & Anbesol are the same thing (benzocaine 20%) under different names. I use another brand that comes in a swab that you break open when you need it, but it’s probably also benzocaine. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/7 "2003-11-21T01:13:16Z")
Apply the anbesol to the gum and the area surrounding the tooth. That’s what did the trick for me (I had to wait about a week to begin work on my busted tooth. Ugh.). ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/8 "2003-11-21T01:31:38Z")
Another vote for Ambesol or whisky. However, I did find tht shoving an aspirin beside the terrible tooth, not swallowing, but letting it dissolve there, seemed to work. I am not sure I recommend that though - there has to be some reason why I have never heard it suggested. But, needs must at times. ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/9 "2003-11-21T04:48:32Z")
OTC analgesics - ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. - will help with the acute discomfort. Get some desensitizing toothpaste, such as Sensodyne, and massage it on the chipped area. Do this several times a day for at least a week. It will partially occlude the dentin tubules, reducing the pressure differential that’s causing the pain. ---
**Author:** ![mala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@mala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mala)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/10 "2003-11-21T07:13:03Z")
I’ve been having some tooth troubles myself. I find that Oragel doesn’t do squat for me. I’ve heard about using aspirin the way Celyn described, but it’s possible to burn your mouth that way. So aside from popping Alleve, which also is of little help, I’m pretty much just riding it out until I can get to the dentist. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/11 "2003-11-21T11:45:20Z")
Cloves are always good for tooth pain. Chew on a whole one and don’t floss. If you get some of it jammed in the general vicinity you get a nice sustained release local painkiller. Of course a lot depends on where the chip is. ---
**Author:** ![angelicate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@angelicate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/angelicate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/12 "2003-11-21T14:59:23Z")
Thanks for all of the suggestions! Unfortunately, the chip is in a spot that makes it impossible to get a clove stuck there, it’s the edge of my front tooth. I’ve been applying Oragel to the gum around my tooth, and to my entire tooth, but it doesn’t do much. I’m just taking ibuprofin every couple of hour, which is at least taking the edge off. I think I’m going to try Aleve, though, because I heard that it works better on mouth pain (Might be true, might not, doesn’t really matter.) I’m also going to pick up some Sensodyne while I’m out. I’d also heard about letting an aspirin dissolve there by the offending tooth, but then read (On my dentist’s website, I believe) that it’s not a good idea because it can butn away the lining of your mouth, like mala mentioned. I definitely don’t want to add more pain. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Star_to_the_Right)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/13 "2003-11-22T06:02:54Z")
Advil has always worked well for me- I’ve been getting a lot of toothaches as of late, and a couple of the gelcaps eases the pain within 15 minutes or so. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/14 "2003-11-22T11:42:09Z")
You could have **nuthinboutnuthin** [work on it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=224793) for ya. He’s got a Dremel. ---
**Author:** ![hyperjes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@hyperjes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperjes)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/15 "2003-11-22T12:44:44Z")
I’ve never chipped a tooth, but _Dr. Hand’s Teething Lotion_ has worked on every “mouth pain” I’ve ever had. (Take it from someone who has grown and lost not 2 but 3 sets of canines.) It tastes good too. I think the active ingredient is clove oil, so there’s some folk wisdom at work. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/16 "2003-11-22T14:25:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*They used Oil Of Cloves in Marathon Man. There’s no way Hollywood would lie to us. \*\* For once, no lie! Well, I don’t know about oil, I haven’t see oil available anywhere, but I usually throw a handful of whole cloves into a cup, pour in some boiling water and let it sit until it is cool enough to rinse out my mouth with. Works a charm. ---
**Author:** ![snermy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@snermy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snermy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-chipped-a-tooth-pain-relief-suggestions/214328/17 "2003-11-22T17:30:26Z")
I had a similar problem while between dentist appts for a broken filling. Anbesol didn’t work at all for me. What worked somewhat was rinsing with with listerine for about 3 minutes. It hurt while you’re actually rinsing, but much better after.