Hours: Sat–Wed 10–6 · Thu 10–4 · Fri closed
Knowledge centreTooth hurting and you're at home? Here's what helps, and what's dangerous.
A lukewarm salt-water rinse, a cold compress on the outside of the cheek, and a painkiller chosen for you by a pharmacist or doctor. These can calm toothache for hours. But they don't treat the cause, so call us for a check soon. If it becomes hard to breathe, swallow or speak, or the swelling has reached your eye, below your eye, or your neck, that is a hospital emergency, not an appointment: the signs, and what to do now.
What helps at home, safely
- 1
A painkiller that suits you, chosen by a pharmacist or doctorTell them first if you have a long-term condition, take a blood thinner or any other medicine, have a medicine allergy, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if it's for a child. Don't take more than they say, and don't add another painkiller on your own unless the pharmacist or doctor tells you to.
- 2
A rinse with lukewarm salt waterHalf a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water, and repeat every few hours. It cleans and soothes the gum. Not for a young child who can't rinse and spit without swallowing.
- 3
A cold compress on the outside of the cheekIce wrapped in a towel, on the cheek, not on the tooth. Fifteen minutes on, fifteen minutes off. Cold reduces swelling and pain.
- 4
Keep your head raised when you sleepAn extra pillow keeps your head higher than your body. Pain often gets worse when you lie flat with your head low.
- 5
Avoid hot, cold and sweet food and drinksAnd chew on the other side. If food is stuck beside the tooth, gently ease it out with floss.
What's dangerous, even if someone recommends it
- Don't put a painkiller tablet on the tooth or gum. It can burn the gum and make the pain worse.
- Don't take leftover antibiotics, or any without a prescription. On their own, antibiotics don't stop toothache or treat its cause. The dentist decides whether you need them, and taking them on your own can make it harder for the dentist to see what's going on.
- Don't put a hot compress on a swollen cheek. Heat can make the swelling worse.
- Don't open an abscess with a needle or your fingers. It can spread the infection.
- Don't put rubbing alcohol, garlic or neat clove oil on the gum. They can burn the gum and make the pain worse.
If this is happening to you, it can't be handled at home
Go to the nearest hospital emergency department now, not a dental appointment, if you have: difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking, or swelling that has reached below your eye, your eye, or your neck. Don't drive yourself: have someone take you. If breathing is hard, call an ambulance: 911 in Jordan, or the local emergency number if you are elsewhere. And let us know afterwards.
The same goes for a knock to the head or face with dizziness, vomiting or any loss of consciousness, even for a moment: go to the nearest hospital emergency department now, before the dentist.
And call now if you have:
- Swelling under the jaw.
- Fever with the pain or swelling.
- Difficulty opening your mouth.
- A knock to your tooth or your face, without dizziness or vomiting. If the tooth has come out: hold it by the white part, not the root. If it's dirty, rinse it briefly and gently in milk, without scrubbing it or using soap. Put it in a cup of milk, bring it with you, and come straight away: minutes matter.
If the clinic is closed or you can't reach us: go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Don't wait.
And call today if you have:
- Swelling in your cheek or gum, without a fever, even if the pain has eased. If the clinic is closed and the swelling is growing, go to the nearest hospital emergency department, and let us know as soon as we open. If the swelling is in a child's cheek: call now, and if we're closed, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. More on toothache in children.
- Pain that wakes you from sleep. If we're closed, call as soon as we open. For what to do until morning, see The tooth that hurts at night.
More on swelling and abscesses: Dental emergencies and abscesses.
Questions people ask
How do I stop toothache fast?
There's no way to do it in seconds, and no drink or home mixture takes toothache away. What can help until you call: a painkiller chosen for you by a pharmacist or doctor, a rinse with lukewarm salt water, and a cold compress on the outside of the cheek. And if the pain doesn't ease, or it eases and comes back, it needs to be checked soon.
Why isn't the painkiller easing the pain?
A painkiller eases the pain, but it doesn't treat the cause. The cause is usually in the tooth or the gum, and it needs an examination. So don't take more, or add another painkiller on your own. Call us, and if we're closed, call as soon as we open. If there's a fever or swelling under the jaw: call now. If we're closed or you can't reach us: go to the nearest hospital emergency department. The other signs, with what to do for each, are in the section “If this is happening to you, it can't be handled at home” on this page.
Is there a herb that gets rid of toothache or treats tooth decay?
No herb removes the cause of the pain, or treats decay that has started to hurt: that needs treatment in the tooth itself. Decay at its very start can sometimes be stopped, with care the dentist decides on, not with a home mixture. And neat clove oil, garlic or rubbing alcohol on the gum can burn it and make the pain worse.
How long does toothache last?
It depends on the cause. But the cause of toothache usually doesn't go away on its own, even if the pain eases for a few days or stops. Pain that suddenly stops can mean the nerve has died, not that it has healed, and the pain can come back. A check-up soon is easier than an emergency later.
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.