Sometimes cold, hot, sweet or sour foods may trigger a sharp, sudden pain that shoots deep into the nerve endings of your teeth. This discomfort is known as tooth sensitivity.

The roots of your teeth contain thousands of tiny tubules (channels) leading to pulp or a tooth’s nerve center. The hot, cold or sweet stimuli can travel through these tubules to reach the nerve in your tooth when your dentin (the covering on a tooth’s roots) becomes exposed by receding gum tissue.

Tooth sensitivity can be caused by tooth decay (cavities), a fractured tooth, worn fillings, gum disease, worn tooth enamel and exposed roots.

Aging, using the wrong oral products and consuming a lot of acidic foods can also contribute to this problem.

Fortunately, tooth sensitivity is quite treatable, whatever the cause. There are some remedies that you can try at home to help manage the condition and reduce pain.

Here are the top 10 ways to get rid of tooth sensitivity fast at home.

1. Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil

Oil pulling with coconut oil can help reduce the number of Streptococcus mutans bacteria in your mouth and diminish tooth sensitivity. Being a natural antibacterial agent, coconut oil helps reduce the plaque present on your teeth.

In fact, oil pulling helps improve oral health and prevent problems like toothaches, bad breath, and gum disease.

1. Put 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin coconut oil in your mouth.
2. Swish it around for 20 minutes.
3. Spit out the oil and rinse your mouth well with warm water.
4. After rinsing, brush gently your teeth as usual.
5. Do this daily in the morning before eating or brushing your teeth.

You can also do oil pulling with sesame oil.

Note: Do not swallow or gargle with the oil, as it contains harmful bacteria from your mouth.

2. Salt Water

Salt water can also help relieve tooth sensitivity fast. Salt water improves the pH balance of the mouth, thus creating an alkaline environment in which harmful bacteria cannot survive.

It can help reduce dental pain as well as help treat gum sores and side effects of recent dental procedures.

1. Mix ½ teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water.
2. Rinse your mouth with this salt-water solution.
3. If moving it to all parts of your mouth is painful, try holding it for a few minutes.
4. Spit out the solution and rinse your mouth with plain water.
5. Repeat twice daily until you are satisfied with the result.

3. Cloves and Clove Oil

Cloves have been widely used in dentistry for anti-inflammatory, anesthetic and antibacterial properties that help reduce tooth pain and fight oral infections.

A 2013 study published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine found aqueous extract of cloves to have an analgesic effect. So, it can be beneficial for reducing tooth sensitivity and toothaches.

Use any of the following remedies twice daily for a few days:

• Grind 2 whole cloves, mix in a little olive oil and apply this paste on your affected tooth for at least 30 minutes.
• Dab a cotton ball in clove oil and place it directly on your affected tooth for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Mix 5 or 6 drops of clove oil in ½ glass of lukewarm water. Rinse your mouth with this solution.

4. Guava Leaves

Ayurveda recommends using guava leaves for toothaches. When you are suffering from sharp pain because of tooth sensitivity, try this age-old remedy for relief.

According to a 2012 study published in the International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences, guava leaves contain flavonoids, such as quercetin; keampferol; rutin with anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties; and free-radical scavenging activity. Thus, it helps relieve tooth sensitivity and toothache.

Use either of the following remedies 2 or 3 times daily:

• Chew 1 or 2 tender, fresh guava leaves for a few minutes and then spit it.
• Put 4 to 5 guava leaves in 1 cup of water and boil it for 5 minutes. Let it cool down, add some salt and use this solution as a mouthwash.

5. Garlic

Garlic also helps deal with tooth sensitivity. It is high in allicin that makes it a powerful antibacterial agent and a natural anesthetic.

It can help reduce pain resulting from tooth sensitivity as well as an abscess infection. It also helps kill the germs that cause oral infections and cavities.

• Make a paste by mixing together 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 or 3 drops of water and some table salt. Apply it directly on the affected tooth.Let it sitfor several minutes before rinsing it off with warm salt water. Repeat twice daily for a few days.
• Alternatively, cut a garlic clove in halfand gently rub the cut side against the affected tooth for 7 to 10 minutes. Rinse it off with lukewarm water. Repeat 2 or 3 times daily to alleviate pain.

6. Raw Onion

Onion contains quercetin flavonoids, which possess anti-inflammatory properties. This helps provide relief from pain caused by tooth sensitivity.

Also, the antimicrobial properties of onion help kill the harmful bacteria in the mouth that cause oral infections.

1. Cut a piece of onion to a small size that will fit comfortably in your mouth.
2. Put the cut slice on the affected tooth.
3. Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Thoroughly rinse your mouth with salt water to prevent onion breath.
5. Repeat 2 or 3 times daily for a few days.