Hours: Sat–Wed 10–6 · Thu 10–4 · Fri closed
Knowledge centreIs your child crying with toothache? Here's what to give, and what not to.
No adult painkiller on your own, not even half a tablet, and don't put a tablet on the tooth: get a children's painkiller from the nearest all-night pharmacy, where the pharmacist works out the dose from your child's weight, not their age. If there's swelling in the cheek or a fever with the pain, don't wait until morning: call now, and if we're closed, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. If the swelling reaches the eye or neck, or they struggle to breathe or swallow: hospital emergency now.
What not to do right now
- Don't give an adult painkiller without advice, not even part of a tablet. An adult dose isn't worked out for your child's body, and cutting a tablet doesn't get their dose right. Some adult painkillers aren't safe for children at any dose, so only give what the pharmacist or doctor has chosen for your child. For a little one, that means a painkiller labelled for children.
- No painkiller tablet on the tooth or gum. It burns the gum and makes the pain worse. No numbing gel or cream on a little one's gums, and for an older child, only if a doctor says so.
- No hot compress on a swollen cheek. Heat makes the swelling worse.
- No antibiotics on your own, and none from a leftover pack at home. A doctor or dentist decides whether they're needed.
- Don't wait until morning if there's swelling in the cheek or a fever with the pain. See the signs below.
What to give, and what helps
- 1
A painkiller made for children, from the nearest all-night pharmacyTell the pharmacist your child's weight in kilos, and they'll work out the dose by weight, not age. Already have a children's painkiller at home? Tell the pharmacist its name and your child's weight before you give it. If your child has a long-term condition or an allergy to a medicine, or takes any medicine, tell them first. Don't give more than the dose, don't give it sooner than the pharmacist said, and don't add a cold or fever medicine without asking them.
- 2
A rinse with lukewarm water, for an older child onlyIf they can rinse and spit without swallowing. Not for a little one.
- 3
Clean gently around the toothWith a soft brush, and if food is stuck beside the tooth, ease it out gently with floss.
- 4
A cold compress on the outside of the cheekIce wrapped in a towel, on the cheek from the outside, not on the tooth. Fifteen minutes on, fifteen minutes off.
Signs that don't wait
Go straight to the nearest hospital emergency department; don't wait for an appointment:
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking. If they're struggling to breathe, call an ambulance on 911 rather than driving them yourself.
- Swelling that has reached the eye or below it, or the neck.
- Swelling or a fever, and they're unusually drowsy or floppy, or won't drink.
- A knock to the head, with dizziness, vomiting or any loss of consciousness, even for a moment.
And let us know afterwards.
Call now:
- Swelling in the cheek.
- Swelling under the jaw.
- Fever with the pain.
- Difficulty opening the mouth.
If the clinic is closed or you can't reach us: go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Don't wait.
A small bump on the gum beside the tooth, without a fever or swelling in the cheek, or pain that wakes them from sleep or comes back every time the painkiller wears off? It can mean the nerve of the tooth has been affected or there's an infection, and it needs to be seen soon: call today, and if we're closed, call as soon as we open.
A knock to a tooth, or a tooth broken or knocked out? Call right away. If it broke, keep the piece in milk if you find it. Came out completely, and it's a permanent tooth or you're not sure? Hold it by the white part, not the root. Don't scrub it or dry it. Put it in a cup of milk. If the clinic is closed, take it with you to the nearest hospital emergency department. The details: Your child knocked out a tooth: the first hour.
Call us
We treat children's dental emergencies at the clinic. Call and we'll find you the earliest slot, and tell you what to do until you arrive. When you call, tell us your child's age and weight, and what you gave them and when.
Or message us on WhatsApp, though in a case like this calling is quicker.
Questions people ask
Why isn't the painkiller easing my child's toothache?
A painkiller eases the pain, but it doesn't treat the cause. The cause is usually in the tooth itself, most often decay that has reached the nerve. A baby tooth has a nerve just like a permanent one, and decay spreads faster in it. Sometimes it's an old knock. Either way, it needs an examination. So if the pain doesn't ease with the dose the pharmacist worked out, or it comes back and wakes them, don't raise the dose or add another painkiller yourself: call, and if we're closed, call as soon as we open. And if there's swelling in the cheek or a fever, don't wait: see the signs below.
How many days does toothache last in a child?
It depends on the cause. But if the tooth is inflamed, the inflammation doesn't go away on its own, even if the pain eases or stops for a few days. Sometimes the pain stops because the nerve of the tooth has died, not because it has healed. Some children don't complain at all while the tooth is inflamed, so watch for a small bump on the gum beside the tooth, or a tooth that has changed colour. Any pain that comes back or doesn't go, or a bump on the gum, needs to be seen soon.
Fever with toothache: teething or infection?
Teething can make a child a little warm. A real fever isn't from teething. A fever with swelling in the cheek or gum, or with pain in a tooth that came through long ago, is not teething: Signs that don't wait. A real fever with no swelling and no pain in a tooth that's already through: talk to your child's paediatrician first. If they're unusually drowsy or floppy, or won't drink: go to the nearest hospital emergency department. If they have a seizure: call an ambulance on 911.
Is there anything that eases a child's toothache within minutes?
Nothing stops toothache within minutes, and no drink or home mixture treats it. What helps until you call is what's above: the children's painkiller at the dose the pharmacist worked out, and a cold compress on the outside of the cheek. Keep food and drinks not too hot, not too cold and not sweet, and have them chew on the other side. And don't put any home remedy on the tooth or gum.
Pages that go with this one
These are general first-aid notes until you speak to us, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for a pharmacist or doctor. If you're not sure, calling is faster and safer than reading.