The short answer
Rinse with warm salt water, gently floss out any trapped food, hold a cold compress on your cheek and take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen as the label directs. These ease the pain for a while, but they don’t treat the cause, so book a dentist within a day or two, sooner if you have swelling or a fever.
Most toothaches come from an inflamed nerve inside the tooth, usually from decay, a crack or a leaking filling. Gum problems and food packed between teeth can feel just as sharp. Home care buys you time until a dentist can find which it is.
How do you stop a toothache at home?
- Rinse with warm salt water. Half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, swished for 30 seconds, three or four times a day. It cleans the area and calms the gum.
- Floss gently around the tooth. A trapped popcorn hull or shred of meat can cause surprising pain.
- Use a cold compress. Wrap ice in a cloth and hold it on your cheek for 15 minutes, then take a 15-minute break.
- Keep your head raised. An extra pillow at night eases the throbbing. Here’s why toothaches get worse at night.
- Avoid very hot, cold and sweet food, and chew on the other side.
Which painkiller works for a toothache?
For most adults, an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen works well for dental pain, because the pain comes from swelling inside the tooth. Acetaminophen is the option if you can’t take ibuprofen. Follow the dose on the label, and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines, are pregnant, or have stomach, kidney or heart problems.
Painkillers only mask the pain. If you need them for more than a couple of days, the tooth needs to be seen.
What to do when tooth pain is unbearable
Pain that keeps you awake or doesn’t ease with painkillers usually means the nerve is badly inflamed or infected. Call a dentist the same morning. Read our emergency dentistry guide for what to do while you wait.
Go to the emergency room instead if you have:
- swelling that spreads to your eye, neck or under your jaw
- trouble breathing or swallowing
- a high fever with facial swelling
A painful pimple on the gum near the tooth is a sign of an abscess. It needs a dentist even if it drains and the pain eases.
Why does a toothache hurt so much?
The nerve and blood vessels of a tooth sit in a small chamber with hard walls. When the tissue inside swells, it has nowhere to go, so the pressure builds on the nerve. That’s why a toothache throbs with your pulse, and why it can feel worse than a bigger injury elsewhere. The tooth’s nerve also connects to the nerves of your jaw, ear and temple, so the pain can spread.
What not to put on a sore tooth
- Aspirin on the gum. It burns the gum and doesn’t reach the nerve.
- Alcohol or peroxide held on the tooth. Both irritate the gum.
- Pins, toothpicks or anything sharp to dig out food.
- Heat on your face if there’s any swelling. It can make an infection spread.
Clove oil can numb a sore tooth for a short time if it’s diluted and kept off the gum. Read how to use clove oil safely.
How a dentist treats a toothache
Dr. Ibrahim Sayeed finds the cause with an exam and X-rays first. Depending on the tooth, that may mean a filling, a root canal to save an infected tooth, or an extraction when the tooth can’t be saved. Treatment starts with getting you out of pain.
Toothache questions
What kills tooth pain fast?
Ibuprofen taken as directed, a cold compress and a warm salt-water rinse work fastest at home. None of them fixes the cause.
How do you manage dental pain before an appointment?
Take an anti-inflammatory on schedule as the label directs, keep the area clean with salt-water rinses, avoid chewing on the tooth and sleep with your head raised.
Can a tooth infection be treated with home remedies?
No. Rinses and painkillers can ease the pain, but an infection needs a dentist to drain it and treat the tooth.
Toothache in Kingston? Call 845-336-5855 or book an appointment.
