Quick relief from gum pain

SUFFERING from gum pain? Did you know that simple home remedies could help you soothe the pain? From saltwater rinses, cold compresses, turmeric paste and tea tree oil, website healthline.com, reports gum pain is an annoying issue that happens for a number of reasons.

If your only symptom is gum pain, try these treatments at home:

- Warm one cup of water on the stove (not to boiling - just warm) and pour into a cool glass. Add one teaspoon salt to the warm water and mix well.

- Swish the mixture in your mouth, and then spit it out into a sink when finished (don’t swallow). The salt will help prevent the growth of bacteria in your mouth and decrease the bacteria on your gums, which may be causing the swelling.

- Rinse your mouth with warm salt water at least twice a day until the swelling subsides.

- Try either a hot or cold compress to help reduce pain.

- For a hot compress: Heat water to a tolerable temperature (not boiling). Soak a clean cloth in the hot water, and then squeeze out the excess.

- Gently press the warm, damp cloth to your face near the area where your gum pain is occurring (not directly to your gums).

- For a cold compress: Wrap an ice pack in a clean cloth and apply it in the same way as above.

- Use either method until your pain subsides, or alternate between hot and cold until any swelling and inflammation die down.

- Take a fresh bag of tea and steep it in boiling water for up to five minutes, as you do to make tea. When the teabag is cool enough to touch, apply it directly to painful gums for at least five minutes.

- Choose a tea high in astringent tannins, such as black tea, green tea, or even hibiscus tea. Or choose a tea that contains an antiinflammatory herb — ginger and chamomile are popular examples.

- The anti-inflammatory herbs will soothe, while the tannins will absorb anything that irritates the gums.