Stop toothache pain
To control toothache temporarily, remove trapped food, use a cold compress outside the cheek, and take an appropriate over-the-counter pain medicine as.
The short answer
To control toothache temporarily, remove trapped food, use a cold compress outside the cheek, and take an appropriate over-the-counter pain medicine as directed while arranging dental care.
Why does toothache need a diagnosis?
Toothache is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Common mechanisms include inflamed pulp inside the tooth, a dental abscess, exposed dentine, a cracked tooth, gum inflammation, or pain referred from nearby tissues.
What can you do now to control toothache pain?
Rinse gently, floss once around the painful tooth, avoid very hot, cold, sweet, or hard foods, and keep your head elevated when resting. Do not place aspirin or caustic substances on the gum, and do not rely on antibiotics without dental treatment.
When does toothache pain require urgent care?
Get urgent dental care for swelling, fever, pus, a broken tooth, or pain that prevents sleep or swallowing. Difficulty breathing or swallowing, or rapidly spreading facial swelling, requires emergency medical help.
Which dental treatment might this painful tooth need?
Does the tooth need a filling, root canal, drainage, extraction, or gum treatment? Is there swelling or pulp inflammation? Which pain medicine is suitable with my health conditions?
Frequently asked questions
Does the tooth need a filling, root canal, drainage, extraction, or gum treatment?
Is there swelling or pulp inflammation.
Can this be treated at home?
Rinse gently, floss once around the painful tooth, avoid very hot, cold, sweet, or hard foods, and keep your head elevated when resting.
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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.