A poultice may help. Ask the pharmacist. I know of a particular
preparation, however, the name escapes me right now.

The key word is "POULTICE."

Joel M. Eichen DDS

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ANSWERS FROM KAREN MALLINGER
QUESTION: I have been having extremely bad wisdom tooth pain & I am
waiting to be seen by a specialist. Is there something you can
recommend as a pain relief in the meantime? I am taking painkillers but
I thought there may be another remedy. Please help as I am in agony.

ANSWER: The best instant pain relief I can offer is cloves. Yep. The
kind you buy in the baking section of the grocery store. Take a whole
clove and place it on the gum or tooth that's causing you pain and it
will numb it for you temporarily. But you really do need to have them
removed if your wisdom teeth are to the point of causing you that much
pain.

QUESTION: Is something available to help tighten loose teeth and help
to heal gum problems?

ANSWER: Well, proper dental hygiene is always a move in the right
direction. Flossing every day, brushing at least twice a day and
avoiding sweets. Apart from that, if you have an infection, fresh
plantain leaves chewed up and placed between the cheek and gum can be
helpful. Whole cloves will provide temporary relief from the pain. If
it's serious, please see a dentist.

QUESTION: Hi, I am suffering from gum disease, all my gums are swollen,
they bleed and hurt, and now my teeth have started to erode as I am
getting gaps between my teeth. please help I am only 21 years of age.

ANSWER: Good dental hygiene is the first place to start. You MUST avoid
sugar. Brush and floss at least 2 times every day to remove trapped food
particles. You can brush with baking soda which is natural and will
leave your breath sweet smelling and also has a mild abrasive quality
to it. Plantain leaves, chewed and then used as a poultice against the
gum can help swelling and draw out infections. Whole cloves will help
alleviate pain temporarily. But you only have one set of teeth. Once
they're gone, that's it, so see a dentist immediately and let him help
you.

INFECTED TOOTH
QUESTION: I have an infection in my mouth . I have been taking garlic
and echinacea.  It   goes away but then come back hurting more . I
don't  have money to go to the dentist is there anything else I can
take?

Pericoronitis is simply an inflammation/infection of the gum on top of the
erupting 3rd molar.  It usually comes and goes, and it's possible that it
could be gone by Friday.  However, once it has started, it's VERY likely to
return and you'll have the same problem again, which you certainly don't
want -- I would think once is more than enough.  It also is possible that it
could get worse and the infection could spread -- hard to predict,
especially without seeing you.  Your dentist might decide you need
antibiotics.  Your dentist will most likely gently flush out the area with a
type of prescription mouthwash, and then make a decision on what to do so
this problem does not return; again, it's hard to say what the treatment
would be without examining you.  Rest assured that this type of problem is
VERY common in people your age as their lower 3rd molars come in.  If you
are away at school, you could ask your friends and I'll bet that many of
them had the identical problem and now are fine.