If you have cut your gum while eating something sharp or opening a bottle with your teeth, every bite can be painful while it is healing. The open area could also be at risk for becoming infected. Use the following homemade remedy to treat the discomfort and prevent infection.

What You Will Need

Before you begin, gather together the items listed below. You can find the ingredients in pharmacies and grocery stores.

• Small, shallow dish
• One teaspoon of salt
• Three drops of water
• Two drops of clove oil
• One toothpick
• One cotton swab
• Glass of warm water

The salt in this treatment has two purposes. First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory and pulls out the inflammation. Second, it provides an anti-bacterial, cleaning out the cut and killing any germs that could cause an infection.

The clove oil provides relief from any pain or discomfort you may be experiencing by numbing the nerves on contact. However, make sure you do not use more than the amount listed above. When used in higher concentrations, the oil could irritate the delicate tissues of your gums, especially if you are highly sensitive to it.

If you are unsure if you are sensitive to the clove oil, test the paste on an unaffected area of your gum before applying it to the cut. This will prevent further irritation of the broken tissue, if you have a reaction. While the oil may cause some tingling, you should not feel any burning.

If you do not feel any burning, go ahead and use the treatment. If you do, however, do not use this remedy.

Directions

Now that you have what you need, follow the directions below to make and use your gum treatment.

1. In the shallow dish, mix together the salt and water using your toothpick.
2. Add one drop of clove oil at a time, stirring thoroughly between each one.
3. Rinse your mouth with warm water.
4. Coat the cotton swab with the paste.
5. Apply the paste directly on the cut and the surrounding gum.
6. Leave the paste on for a few minutes.
7. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water.

Use the above home remedy twice a day until the gum has healed completely. However, if the cut is not healing properly or you think it may be infected, you may want to schedule an appointment with your dentist so they can evaluate and treat your gum, if necessary. For more information, visit http://www.nwidentist.com/ or a similar website.