What can i use to stop my tooth from hurting
Temporary tooth-pain relief can include a suitable nonprescription pain reliever and gentle rinsing, but the cause needs dental treatment.
The short answer
For short-term relief, use a pain reliever that is appropriate for your health history, keep the area clean, and arrange dental care because pain can come from decay, infection, a crack, or gum disease.
What problems can cause pain in or around a tooth?
Tooth pain may arise from inflamed pulp, exposed dentin, a cracked tooth, an abscess, or inflamed tissues around the tooth. Pain medicine changes pain signaling but does not repair enamel, remove infected pulp, drain an abscess, or stabilize a crack.
What can you do now while arranging care for tooth pain?
Follow the medicine label or advice from a pharmacist, rinse gently with warm water, remove trapped food with care, and avoid extreme temperatures and chewing on the painful side. Never place aspirin or concentrated chemicals directly on the gum.
When does tooth pain need prompt dental attention?
Arrange dental care promptly when pain persists, recurs, wakes you, or hurts on biting. Seek emergency help for facial swelling, fever, spreading redness, or any difficulty breathing, swallowing, or opening the mouth.
What should you ask about the cause and treatment of pain?
Ask what is causing the pain, whether the pulp or root is involved, and whether you need a filling, crown, root canal, extraction, gum treatment, or management of a cracked tooth.
Frequently asked questions
Can salt water cure a toothache?
A gentle rinse may clear debris and soothe tissues, but it cannot repair decay or treat an abscess.
Why does tooth pain stop and return?
Pressure, pulp inflammation, or an abscess can fluctuate while the underlying problem remains.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.