I woke up this morning and my teeth were aching. Not a dull ache but a modulating aching feeling resonating from each tooth in my mouth. I actually brought this on myself. When my sister came to visit me, she brought me a Crest white strip whitening kit (requested by me).  I had used them before and never experienced any kind of sensitivities problems until now. Perhaps they have changed the formula but all I know is my teeth are hurting me to the point it's making my eyes water. What can I do short of going and paying a fortune for a dentist to look at my teeth? Dental work in France is very poorly reimbursed by the social securty.

Do any of you know any home remedies for aching teeth? It's not so much my gums but my teeth.

On the topic of teeth, a fellow expat's son is experiencing tooth issues and it sparked a rather funny memory to back when I was still losing my baby teeth.  I remember my front left tooth was loose and all crooked and unwilling to come out.  I had tried to pull it out myself but was unsuccessful.  I showed it to my mother who slightly wiggled it and said that it wasn't ready to come out yet and then took me to see my father for a second opinion. 

My mother marched me down to the basement where my father had set up his office. Already, the basement was a scary place in our house and my father's office was even scarier.  I remember clearly that he was busy reading a book, my mother told me father what was going on and then left me alone with him. He peered at my over his glasses and beckoned me over so that he could have a look at this rogue tooth.  I asked him not to take it out as I was afraid it was going to hurt and he reassured me that he wasn't going to take it out.  He wiggled it and then told me to sit down on his lap.  He said he was going to pinch my gum a little to make it feel better but wasn't going to take the tooth out because it wasn't ready (so he said...).  So, I willingly sat on his lap, sure that he was going to do me no harm and let him have a look at my tooth.  Less than a few seconds passed, he pinched my gum, I felt no pain and he sent me on my way.  I ran upstairs to look and saw a GAPING HOLE in my mouth.  The tooth was gone! I went back to the stairs to ask to see my tooth when I overheard my mom and dad talking and my mom saying that she was glad that he pulled it out so that he would be the one to blame if it hurt too much.  And my dad laughed and saying that what he's there for.  

Many more teeth found their way into my father's hand. He had his special way of pulling out baby teeth without us ever knowing it.  Thinking back I never question how my dad did it but now that I'm older and will have kids someday I wonder how we become good parents? At least, I have two good examples to follow.