Toothache: Pain Relief at Home and When It’s a Dental Emergency

Toothache rarely goes away on its own for good. Painkillers can get you through the night, but the cause, often decay, a cracked tooth or an infection, needs a dentist. And some toothaches, especially with swelling, can become dangerous.

Imagine it’s Saturday night and a back tooth starts throbbing. Every sip of cold water sends a jolt through your jaw. By Sunday morning, the pain is constant and your cheek feels a little puffy. The dentist is closed until Monday. What can you safely do now, and when should you go to the emergency department instead of waiting?

Common causes of toothache

• Tooth decay reaching the nerve
• A cracked or broken tooth, or a lost filling
• A dental abscess (a pus-filled infection)
• Gum disease
• Wisdom teeth coming through
• Sometimes sinus infections or teeth grinding

Easing the pain until you see a dentist

• Take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, following the pack. A pharmacist can advise if you need both.
• Rinse with warm salty water
• Avoid very hot, cold or sugary foods and drinks, and chew on the other side
• Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow
• A pharmacist can recommend a numbing gel for adults

Don’t put aspirin directly on the gum (it burns the tissue), don’t give aspirin to children under 16, and don’t take more painkiller than the pack says.

But when is it an emergency?

Go to the emergency department or call your emergency number if you have:

• Swelling of the face, neck or around the eye that is spreading
• Difficulty breathing, swallowing or opening your mouth
• A high temperature and feeling very unwell
• Heavy bleeding that won’t stop, or a serious injury to the face or mouth

See a dentist urgently, ideally the same or next day, for severe pain not controlled by painkillers, a swollen gum or cheek, a bad taste or pus in your mouth, or a knocked-out adult tooth (handle it by the crown, rinse briefly, and try to put it back in its socket or keep it in milk, and get help within an hour). Antibiotics alone don’t fix dental abscesses: the infection needs draining or the tooth treating.

Sources: NHS (Toothache; Dental abscess), American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), International Association of Dental Traumatology, World Health Organization (Oral health). This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor, dentist or pharmacist.