Okay, so, a couple of days ago, I had to get a tooth pulled. Not fun, right? It was one of my back molars, and man, was it a pain. After the dentist yanked that sucker out, he gave me the usual gauze to bite down on. But let me tell you, that gauze was getting soaked fast, and it wasn’t really doing much to stop the bleeding or ease the throbbing.

Then I remembered something my grandma used to talk about—the “old tea-bag trick.” She swore by it for all sorts of mouth sores. So, I thought, “What the heck, I’ll give it a shot.”

First Step

• Found a tea bag: I rummaged through my kitchen and found a box of regular black tea bags.
• Wet the tea bag: I ran it under some cold water for a few seconds until it was damp but not dripping.

Second Step

• Bit down on the tea bag: I folded the wet tea bag a bit and placed it right over the extraction site where that pesky tooth used to be. I gently bit down, just like I did with the gauze.

What I felt

Honestly, it felt a little weird at first, having a tea bag in my mouth. But almost immediately, I noticed a difference.

• Less bleeding: The bleeding seemed to slow down much quicker than with the gauze.
• Soothing feeling: The cool, damp tea bag felt pretty soothing against my sore gums. I even put a few tea bags in the fridge to make them extra cold.

Result

I kept the tea bag in place for about 30 minutes, switching it out with a fresh, cold one when needed. The bleeding definitely stopped faster than I expected. And the pain? Well, it didn’t magically disappear, but it was way more manageable. The tea bag seemed to help with the swelling and inflammation, too.

I continued using the tea bags on and off for the rest of the day, whenever I felt I needed some relief. By the next day, my mouth was feeling a lot better. The tea bags were more comfortable than gauze, and they were a life-saver.

So, yeah, that old-timey tea bag trick actually works! I’m not saying it’s a miracle cure or anything, but it definitely helped me out after getting my tooth pulled. It’s a simple, cheap, and surprisingly effective way to deal with the bleeding and discomfort. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, give it a try. You might be surprised!