CBD isn’t something you’ll usually find at the dentist. But turns out, it may be beneficial for tooth pain and discomfort.
Although taking CBD isn’t a substitute for seeing a dentist if your teeth are hurting, it can help in the meantime. Let’s find out how.
How to Use CBD for Tooth Pain:
- To use CBD for tooth pain, apply a few drops of CBD oil directly to the affected area. You’ll feel the effects in 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, you can take CBD gummies, which take 45 minutes to 1 hour to begin working.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of more than 100 naturally-occurring cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.
CBD has a wide variety of benefits (backed by research and anecdotal evidence) and is most commonly used for stress, anxiety, inflammation, pain, and sleep support.
Types of Tooth Pain & Causes
“Tooth pain” is a catchall description of different types of pain you feel in your teeth. There are many specific types of tooth pain, each of which has a unique cause:
- Sharp, stabbing tooth pains can be felt while eating a meal or otherwise using your teeth. This type of pain is generally indicative of an untreated cavity.
- Tooth sensitivity causes small twinges of pain and is felt when you eat or drink something that’s very hot or cold (e.g. drinking hot coffee or ice water). Several things cause tooth sensitivity, including exposed tooth roots, untreated cavities, and grinding or clenching the teeth.
- Throbbing discomfort in your teeth may mean you have a tooth infection, which has to be treated with a root canal treatment.
- Tooth pain felt when you apply pressure to your teeth has several causes, including an abscess (a buildup of pus beneath the skin) near the tooth or a fractured tooth. Both of these problems often require dental treatment.
- Additionally, you will feel discomfort after dental procedures such as root canal treatment and tooth extraction. This pain is normal, but be sure to visit your dentist if it lasts longer than it’s supposed to.
Many types of tooth pain have to be treated with dental surgery. And generally, if you feel discomfort in your mouth, you need to see your dentist. CBD is a supplement, not a treatment.
However, CBD may be able to help with the discomfort until you can get to a dentist.
Can CBD Help With Tooth Pain?
Yes, CBD can help with tooth pain, although it cannot usually address the root causes of the pain.
Research suggests that CBD has analgesic (pain-killing) and anti-inflammatory effects, making it potentially effective for tooth pain. Additionally, studies show that CBD may have antibacterial properties, making it generally beneficial for maintaining healthy gums and teeth.
How CBD Can Help Tooth Pain
Apart from generally being able to address tooth pain, here are some specific ways CBD can help with issues that cause tooth pain.
Tooth Sensitivity
Tooth sensitivity makes consuming very hot or cold foods and drinks painful.
The roots of your teeth normally aren’t exposed. If a root does become exposed for some reason, the nerve below the root become extra sensitive.
CBD may be able to help by addressing nerve pain. Research shows that CBD has the potential to help with neuropathic pain, and generally, research suggests CBD can help with pain and inflammation.
Teeth Grinding
Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can happen during the day or night. Daytime grinding is usually caused by stress, while nighttime grinding is a result of sleep apnea or a collapsing airway.
Bruxism is a chief cause of tooth sensitivity. While CBD may be able to help with tooth sensitivity, it may also help with the stress and anxiety that can cause bruxism in the first place.
However, if you’re dealing with bruxism, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. Again, CBD is a supplement, not a treatment.
TMJ Disorder
The TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, connects your jawbone to your skull. Feeling pain in one or both of your TMJs is known as TMJ disorder, and is caused by everything from a misaligned bite to poor orthodontics.
While CBD can’t address the underlying causes of TMJ disorder, multiple studies indicate that it may help with the pain and inflammation that may result from the disorder.
CBD for Dental Anxiety
In addition to dental pain, CBD is also potentially helpful for dental anxiety.
Dental anxiety holds many people back from seeking out the necessary dental treatment to keep their teeth in shape. And it goes far beyond teeth — dental issues can cause lots of health problems if left untreated.
Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that CBD is beneficial for all forms of stress and anxiety. In fact, many dentists recognize CBD’s benefits for dental anxiety and even recommend it to their patients.
CBD For Tooth Pain: How It Works
CBD works by interacting with your Endocannabinoid System (ECS), a system in your body that regulates almost every vital function, including sleep, inflammatory response, mood, the immune system, and more. The ECS’s ultimate job is to keep your body in a state of homeostasis (balance).
Although CBD doesn’t interact strongly with receptors in your ECS, it does support its function, thereby helping your ECS control pain, inflammation, and other discomforts throughout your body.
What Do Dentists Think About CBD for Tooth Pain?
While we couldn’t interview a dentist for this article, the general sentiment among dentists online is that CBD is helpful for tooth pain and dental anxiety. However, as we do, dentists note that CBD is not a replacement for receiving actual treatment.
Be sure to ask your own dentist about CBD — they will know what is best for your specific situation, and can advise you on how best to use it.
How To Use CBD for Tooth Pain
There are a few different ways you can apply CBD for tooth pain:
Topical CBD Application
Using CBD topically means applying it to the surface of your skin, or in this case, directly on your teeth and gums.
With topical application, you rub CBD oil directly onto the areas of your teeth and gums where you’re experiencing pain. This is a good option if you’re feeling discomfort in the external parts of your teeth and gums.
In addition to applying CBD oil directly to your teeth and gums, you can also using CBD-infused chewing gum.
CBD In Toothpaste
Using CBD in toothpaste is another form of topical application. You can either mix CBD oil with your toothpaste, or you can buy toothpaste that’s made with CBD.
Oral ingestion (CBD Oil, CBD Edibles, CBD Drinks)
If the discomfort you’re experiencing is inside the teeth or deeper in the gums, you’ll want to take CBD such that it reaches the bloodstream. You have two options:
- Sublingual absorption (CBD oil), which is taken under the tongue and absorbed into the blood vessels in your mouth
- Digestive absorption (CBD edibles, CBD drinks, etc.), which involves swallowing and digesting CBD in order for it to enter the bloodstream
These consumption methods are ideal if you need the CBD to enter your bloodstream and work throughout your body (e.g. if your whole mouth is hurting, or if you’re using CBD for dental anxiety), rather than just work in specific areas on your teeth and gums.
Don’t Smoke CBD Flower
Smoking a CBD-rich strain of hemp flower is a good option for many therapeutic uses of hemp, but not for tooth pain. In this case, smoking anything can make the pain worse and dry out your mouth.
For tooth pain, stick to topical applications, CBD oil, CBD edibles, or CBD drinks.
How Long Does It Take for CBD to Work?
Here’s how long CBD will begin taking effect, depending on how you use it:
- Topical application (e.g. CBD toothpaste) — 5-10 minutes
- Sublingual application (CBD oil) — 10-15 minutes
- Digested products (e.g. CBD edibles) — 45 minutes to 1 hour
CBD Dosage for Tooth Pain
Measuring CBD dosage isn’t necessary if you’re applying it directly to your teeth and gums. In this case, simply use enough CBD oil to cover all the areas you want to target for relaxation.
But if you’re using CBD orally, measuring dosage becomes necessary.
For pain, we recommend starting with a medium-strength dosage of CBD, which can be measured using this formula:
(0.3) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily CBD dosage in mg for tooth pain
So for example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you’d take 45mg of CBD. This dosage will ensure that CBD’s physically relaxing properties can fully take effect and address tooth pain and discomfort. The same formula can be used for dental anxiety, as both uses require similar dosages.
Once you take your dosage a few times, you can adjust it up or down depending on how it’s working for you.
Side Effects of CBD
While CBD can help with tooth pain and dental anxiety, it may cause some side effects:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Drowsiness
Additionally, CBD may interact with prescription drugs — especially blood thinners and painkillers. If you’re on any sort of prescription medication, ask your doctor before using CBD.
How to Shop CBD For Tooth Pain: Buying Tips
CBD products will only help with tooth pain and dental anxiety if they’re high-quality.
To find the best products, you have to be a careful shopper. There is a lot of low-quality CBD on the market because the industry isn’t heavily regulated.
Here’s what to keep in mind when buying CBD for tooth pain:
- Check 3rd-party lab reports — Before you buy a product, check to ensure it’s been 3rd-party lab-tested. If it hasn’t been tested, don’t buy it. If it has, look at the report and verify that it contains the amount of CBD that it’s supposed to, based on what its packaging says. Additionally, verify that the product doesn’t contain any contaminants.
- Buy full-spectrum CBD — Full-spectrum CBD doesn’t just contain CBD. It also contains small amounts of CBG, CBN, THC, and other cannabinoids that naturally occur in the hemp plant. Full-spectrum CBD is more effective than CBD isolate for pain and anxiety because the variety of cannabinoids it contains work together to create stronger effects.
- Read reviews — Companies can claim anything they want about their CBD products, but unless real people are finding the products useful, they aren’t worth your money. Ensure reviews about the product you’re interested in are mostly positive.
- Check return & refund policies — Legitimate CBD companies will have enough confidence in their products to offer returns and refunds.
You won’t find weak, ineffective, or dangerous products here. Only high-strength, American-made CBD products that have been 3rd-party lab tested. You deserve better.
Other Natural Remedies for Tooth Pain
CBD is just one of many natural remedies for tooth pain. If you’re looking for relief, here are some other options to consider:
- Saltwater rinse — Salt has anti-inflammatory properties. Mix 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water and use it as a mouthwash.
- Cold compress — A cold compress causes the blood vessels in your mouth to constrict, thereby reducing pain. To use this method, apply ice wrapped in a towel to the affected area for 20 minutes at a time. Repeat every few hours as needed.
- Garlic — Garlic has antibacterial and pain-relieving benefits. For this method, crush a garlic clove into a paste and then apply it to the affected area. You can also chew a clove of fresh garlic for similar effects.
- Vanilla extract — Vanilla extract contains alcohol, which has pain-relieving properties. To use it on your teeth, apply a small amount of vanilla to a cotton ball (or dab it on your finger) and apply it to the affected area a few times a day.
Conclusion: Can CBD Help With Tooth Pain?
Although there isn’t much research on using CBD for tooth pain, anecdotal evidence suggests it may be helpful. There is research, however, showing CBD could be beneficial for dental anxiety.
So if you’re waiting to see a dentist and are feeling some discomfort, you may find CBD beneficial.
Just remember that CBD isn’t a replacement for dental treatment — seeing a dentist is the first thing you should do if your teeth start hurting.
CBD for Tooth Pain: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions we commonly get about using CBD for tooth pain.
Can I put CBD oil on a toothache?
Yes, you can apply CBD oil directly to the areas of your teeth and gums where you’re experiencing discomfort. Research suggests CBD has anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-killing) properties.
What helps unbearable tooth pain?
If you have tooth pain, see a dentist as soon as possible. They’ll be able to provide you with the treatment you need to make the pain go away. However, some natural remedies you can use in the meantime include a saltwater rinse, cold compress, vanilla extract, and CBD oil.
What calms nerve pain in teeth?
Research suggests that CBD oil may be able to reduce nerve pain. When applied to your teeth, CBD may address any discomfort you’re feeling.
Does CBD act as a pain reliever?
Yes, research suggests that CBD has analgesic, or pain-relieving properties. Anecdotal evidence supports this, too. However, CBD is not an FDA-approved pain treatment.
