Tooth ache in the woods

mikeal said:
I always keep one of these handy...

Ice_Skate.jpg
Click to expand...

That movie did come to mind..
 
Ravaillac said:
Time to remember "pain is just information".
Useful information that remembers you that you should treat asap.

Maybe we could separate two distinct issues:
* relieving pain
* treating the problem

Relieving pain is ok assuming you're close enough to civilazation.
If you're too remote you'll have to consider treating.

I'll try to speak from my experience

First a few warnings:
I have some first hand experience but I don't pretend to an extended knowledge about tooth ache.
Assuming you don't have access to prupose made painkillers or antibiotics.
Only some personnal experience, use at your own risk

A few methods I've tried:
* live with it: after some time you developp some pain tolerance
* alcohol mouth wash: used some diluted medical alcohol (yes the camphored stuff, don't swallow)
* cold water (although not sure I'd recommand it in the field)

Some methode heard of:
* dried clove in the cavity or near it (reliable source).
* willow (salix) bark shavings contain acetylsalicylic acid aka Aspirin (reliable source but not sure about application details).
* oak shavings tannic infusion (mouth wash) - not sure
Click to expand...

I was also thinking clove and bite down on it or willow bark boiled. Sometimes a hypertonic salt solution helps. Need to get to the root of the problem, could be a gum issue, try flossing. I sure someone has been camping eaten some jerkey and in the morning your tooth hurts because a chunk of jerkey was left between the teeth and the gum is all puffed out. Might try a vinegar rise to help kill bacteria. Whiskey.
 
oldman/Marty said:
I have had many experiences with a plant that will kill almost any kind of toothache. It is the Toothwort (Dentaria diphylla). I have used this plant many times and have had others also use it and everyone says it is fantastic.
It is a common plant and grows from way up North here all the way down to the Carolinas. I'm not sure how far west it grows. The only bad thing about this plant is that it is only a spring plant but once you become familiar with it you can usually find the roots. It has a very distinctive root and can't be mistaken for any other.
Sorry my computer skills suck so I can't post pictures but all the books show this plant.
It is also called Pepper Root in some of the books and there is a more southern variety called Cut leaf Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata).
Also in a pinch common Plantain (Plantago major) is quite as effective.
Oldman/Marty
Click to expand...

Hey Marty,

Cut leaf Toothwort (seen here - 2nd and 3rd pictures) grows around here. How is it used?

Doc
 
comoha said:
I usually keep a few pill of some serious painkiller (Vicodin, Flexoril) in my first aid kit. What a nightmare to be way out in the bush and be in horrible pain. :eek:
Click to expand...

Same here. My friend hurt his knee pretty bad one time and they enabled him to get out w/o problem.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Hey Marty,

Cut leaf Toothwort (seen here - 2nd and 3rd pictures) grows around here. How is it used?

Doc
Click to expand...

Doc,
Clean the roots, chew it lightly and pack it into the cavity or affected part. I haven't used the cut leaf variety much but it should give the same results.
Oldman/Marty
 
I use a LifeSystems Dental Kit, which contains;

# Temporary filling paste
# Dental mirror
# Dental spatula
# Clove oil
# Cotton wool balls
# Sterile syringe
# Sterile needle for dental anaesthetic
# Dental information guide

1000%20Dental%20Kit.jpg


I've added cotton buds, Nurofen and Bonjela, and my medical kit has a Peli MityLite 1900 with an angled light adaptor, useful for illuminating the teeth you're trying to fill! LifeSystems also make a Burns Kit which I also carry.
 
How about a nice sharp needle?? Didnt happen on the trail or anything that bad.. But started to have a some pain, Not too bad so i didnt bother. A day later the right side was getting swollen. I were too busy and no time to do anything about it. The next day it started to hurt bad. Got home used some baken soda powder with water to wash my mouth and then some Vodka. Took a needle and poked a hole into the gum right by the tooth. Then sqeezed the infection out. Next day no pain and no problems..... Always carry a needle with me as there are lots of uses... You do get used to the pain and after a day or some it just stopes to bother you. I do have high pain treshold so that helps as well. Now ear infection thats a diffrent story Never the most pain i ever had..

Sasha
 
oldman/Marty said:
Doc,
Clean the roots, chew it lightly and pack it into the cavity or affected part. I haven't used the cut leaf variety much but it should give the same results.
Oldman/Marty
Click to expand...

Thanks Marty. I guess Plantain is used the same way.

Under your signature, it says WETEACHU and you just did! Thanks again.

Doc
 
Doc-Canada beat me to it. My first thought was prickly ash. It's a large shrub, small tree with rose-like thorns all over it. The leaves are small and serrated like a cedar elm. Very distinctive smell, like powerful spearmint.

Chew the leaves, or, if it's a localized pain, crush up the leaves and rub them on the spot. Don't swallow the juice or your throat will be numb also. Works very well if the pain is in the gums or near the surface. Not sure how well it would work if it's that deep, excruciating pain of an abcess.

As a side story, the prickly ash is a rather attractive small tree, I have several growing near the house. Whenever someone with kids come out to our house for the first time, I'll pick several leaves and hand them to the kid. I'll tell them that Indians used to chew them like gum, they even smell like gum. At that, it doesn't take much to get the kid to pop them into their mouth and chew. A few seconds later and the kids mouths go numb and they'll realize they've been had. Just listening to them try to talk has me laughing.

They're always mad at first, but I give them a few more leaves and tell them to go tell their mother/dad the Indian gum story. They get that evil-secret-funny-prank look that kids get and will almost trip over themselves trying to run to mom or dad.

BTW, I live in Central TX, and it's fairly common.
 
Forgot one:
Clove is a tropical plant exotic in temperate areas but Avens (latin name Geum) is available in those areas and packs the same active ingredient.
The root distinctly smells like common dried clove and is as efficient.
Was used as a painkiller by dentists before modern drugs.

Off course "real" painkillers are better but most off the really efficient ones are prescription drugs and are often carefully regulated. Plus you have to cope with expiration dates, some degrade with heat...
But they'd be what you wish you have when you're in serious pain, teeth related or not.
 
There are kits you can buy at the drug store that are designed to temporarily help with a lost filling, and in addition to a plug for the hole left by the filling, they use clove oil to kill the pain. The stuff really works. I'd make sure I had one of these kits, or at least a bottle of clove oil with me.
 
Well, I have "herd tell" about Old Timers who would place a crystal of LYE (Sodium Hydoxide) in a rotten tooth cavity. They had progressed from ho' made Potassium hydroxide for soft soap to store bought Red Devil Lye i reckon. 'Supposed to burn like He** but would kill the nerve. I suppose the fragments would come out later chewing jerky or sumpthin.
 
When I was gone on expeditions I would carry a small emergency dental kit and I keep one in my bug out bags too, just in case the emergency really does turn long term.

I keep a temporary filling kit, dental wax (to also fill lost fillings or to pad broken teeth from slicing up the inside of your mouth), emery file (to file down broken or chipped teeth), and an oral anesthetic. Fits in a tiny pouch and weighs little. I also have oil of clove and major pain killers, along with oral antibiotics. I don't have any oral surgery experience, but I've seen some expedition docs carrying stainless steel wire to wire jaws shut, but don't ask me how they do it.
 
Don't know about south Texas but in south Mississippi we have what the old timers call a Toothache tree. (don't know the real name) Kinda tall, slim, light bark with with little Knots (kinda like the back scale of a gator) I use it often and it will numb your mouth to the point that you drool. Just cut into the bark untill you get the green fleshy part, and pop in on the bad spot! Also the Willow family of trees is a natural pain killer and anti inflam. Scrape some bark, boil into a tea, and drink. And if it gets bad enough, I have watched my Daddy(GOD rest his soul) when I was a little boy, take a pair of rusty pliers and yank his own tooth out! Desperate times right? Thank the LORD for dentists but it could easily be a situation any of us can face.
 
Carney C said:
Don't know about south Texas but in south Mississippi we have what the old timers call a Toothache tree. (don't know the real name) Kinda tall, slim, light bark with with little Knots (kinda like the back scale of a gator) I use it often and it will numb your mouth to the point that you drool. Just cut into the bark untill you get the green fleshy part, and pop in on the bad spot! Also the Willow family of trees is a natural pain killer and anti inflam. Scrape some bark, boil into a tea, and drink. And if it gets bad enough, I have watched my Daddy(GOD rest his soul) when I was a little boy, take a pair of rusty pliers and yank his own tooth out! Desperate times right? Thank the LORD for dentists but it could easily be a situation any of us can face.
Click to expand...

Hey Carney,

Any chance of a few pictures to help identify it?

Doc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top