Toothache? What to do until you can see a dentist

A toothache has a way of starting at the worst time: late at night, on a weekend, or right before a busy week. Here's how to ease the pain safely at home, which symptoms mean you shouldn't wait, and how to get it fixed for good.

First, get relief at home

1. Rinse with warm salt water. Stir half a teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water, swish, and spit. It cleans the area and can calm sore gums.
2. Floss gently around the tooth. Sometimes the "toothache" is a piece of food stuck between teeth.
3. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever exactly as the label directs. If you take other medicines or have health conditions, ask your pharmacist which one is right for you.
4. Use a cold compress on the outside of your cheek for 15 to 20 minutes at a time to reduce swelling.
5. Keep your head raised when you lie down. Throbbing pain often feels worse lying flat.
6. Avoid very hot, cold or sweet foods, and chew on the other side.

What not to do

• Don't put aspirin directly on your gum or tooth. It can burn the gum.
• Don't use numbing gels on young children unless a doctor or dentist says it's okay, and follow the label for adults.
• Don't wait for it to go away. If the pain suddenly stops, that can mean the nerve inside the tooth has died, while the infection is still there.

What usually causes a toothache

• A cavity that has reached the inner layers of the tooth
• A cracked or broken tooth, often from biting something hard
• An abscess, an infection at the root that can cause throbbing pain and swelling
• Gum infection around a tooth
• A wisdom tooth coming in or trapped under the gum
• A lost filling or crown that leaves the tooth exposed

The fix depends on the cause. It might be a simple filling, a crown, a root canal to save the tooth, or an extraction. An exam and X-ray show which one you need.

How fast should I see a dentist?

As soon as you can, ideally within a day or two. Tooth pain is a sign something needs treatment, and problems caught early are usually simpler and less expensive to fix.