In order to relieve the tooth-ach, we must first endeavour to lessen the flux of humours to the part affected. This may be done by mild purgatives, scarifying the gums, or applying leeches to them, and bathing the feet frequently with warm water. The perspiration ought likewise to be promoted, by drinking freely of weak wine-whey, or other diluting liquors, with small doses of nitre. Vomits too have often an exceeding good effect in the tooth-ach. It is seldom safe to administer opiates, or any kind of heating medicines, or even to draw a tooth, till proper evacuations have been premised; and these alone will often effect the cure.
If this fails, and the pain and inflammation still increase, a suppuration may be expected, to promote which a toasted fig should be held between the gum and the cheek; bags filled with boiled camomile-flowers, flowers of elder, or the like, may be applied near the part affected, with as great a degree of warmth as the patient can bear, and renewed as they grow cool: the patient may likewise receive the steams of warm water into his mouth, through an inverted funnel, or by holding his head over the mouth of a porringer filled with warm water, &c.
Such things as promote the discharge of saliva, or cause the patient to spit, are generally of service. For this purpose, bitter, hot, or pungent vegetables may be chewed; as gentian, calamus aromaticus, or pellitory of Spain. Allen recommends the root of yellow water flower-de-luce in this case. This root may either be rubbed upon the tooth, or a little of it chewed. Brookes says he hardly ever knew it fail to ease the tooth-ach. It ought however to be used with caution.
Many other herbs, roots, and seeds, are recommended for curing the tooth-ach; as the leaves of roots of millefoil or yarrow chewed, tobacco smoked or chewed, staves-acre, or the seeds of mustard chewed, &c. These bitter, hot, and pungent things, by occasioning a greater flow of saliva, frequently give ease in the tooth-ach.
Opiates often relieve the tooth-ach. For this purpose a little cotton wet with laudanum may be held between the teeth; or a piece of sticking-plaster, about the bigness of a shilling, with a bit of opium in the middle of it, of a size not to prevent the sticking of the other, may be laid on the temporal artery, where the pulsation is most sensible. De la Motte affirms, that there are few cases wherein this will not give relief. If there be a hollow tooth, a small pill made of equal parts of camphire and opium, put into the hollow, is often beneficial. When this cannot be had, the hollow tooth may be filled with gum mastich, wax, lead, or any substance that will stick in it, and keep out the external air.
Few applications give more relief in the tooth-ach than blistering-plasters. These may be applied between the shoulders; but they have the best effect when put behind the ears, and made so large as to cover a great part of the lower jaw.
After all, when a tooth is carious, it is often impossible to remove the pain without extracting it; and, as a spoilt tooth never becomes sound again, it is prudent to draw it soon, lest it should affect the rest. Tooth-drawing, like bleeding, is very much practiced by mechanics, as well as persons of the medical profession. The operation however is not without danger, and ought always to be performed with care. A person unacquainted with the structure of the parts will be in danger of hurting the jaw-bone, or of drawing a sound tooth instead of a rotten one[[132]].
When the tooth-ach returns periodically, and the pain chiefly affects the gums, it may be cured by the bark.
Some pretend to have found great benefit in the tooth-ach, from the application of an artificial magnet to the affected tooth. We shall not attempt to account for its mode of operation; but, if it be found to answer, though only in particular cases, it certainly deserves a trial, as it is attended with no expence, and cannot do any harm. Electricity has likewise been recommended, and particular instruments have been invented for sending a shock through the affected tooth.
Persons who have returns of the tooth-ach at certain seasons, as spring and autumn, might often prevent it by taking a purge at these times.