It’s three in the morning and a dull pain, pulsating, wakes you up from sleep. You turn around, drink a sip of water, wait for it to pass. It doesn’t pass. The dull pain takes over: the head, the ear, sometimes the entire face, and it makes you count the hours until the doctor’s office opens.
If you’re wondering now, „my jaw hurts, what should I do?”, the good news is that a jaw pain can be relieved at home with a few simple things, until you reach the dentist. The less good news: no home remedy treats the cause. Below you’ll find what to do immediately, 10 quick remedies, what pills you can take, why the pain appears, and the signs that mean you need to go to the doctor urgently.
Author: Dr. Ionel Julea, senior physician of the Oro-Maxillofacial Surgery Department. Updated on October 5, 2026.
In a nutshell: what you need to know about menstrual pain
- A dull pain most often occurs due to a cavity that has reached near the nerve, an abscess, or inflammation of the gums.
- Until the dentist’s office, the pain can be relieved with an over-the-counter pain reliever, warm water and salt rinses, and a cold compress on the cheek.
- Go to the dentist if the pain lasts longer than 2 days or does not subside with painkillers. Go immediately if your throat or eye area becomes swollen or you have difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing.
- Home remedies only relieve the pain. The cause is treated only in the clinic: fillings, root canal treatment, drainage or, less often, extraction.
What to do immediately when your groin hurts?
The first step is to relieve the pain without worsening the problem. The second is to call the dentist for an appointment. In the early hours you can do the following:
- Get an analgesic from the pharmacy, ibuprofen or paracetamol, following the instructions on the package leaflet.
- Rinse your mouth with warm water and salt.
- Put a cold compress on the cheek, right next to the cheekbone.
- Avoid very cold, hot or sweet food and chew it on the other side.
- Call the clinic and describe the pain: since it started, if it pulses, if it hurts when you bite or when you’re cold.
10 quick remedies for toothache pain
The remedies below temporarily relieve any toothache or toothache until a doctor’s appointment. Analgesics, rinsing with salt water, and anesthetic gels are also recommended by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The others are supportive measures, useful depending on the situation.
1. Rinse your mouth with warm water and salt
Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, rinse well and spit it out. You can repeat as many times as you need. The salty water cleans the area and can slightly reduce gum inflammation. Children should not do this rinsing because they may swallow the water.
2. Get an analgesic from the pharmacy
Ibuprofen and paracetamol are the most commonly used painkillers for toothache. Follow the dosage on the package leaflet and ask the pharmacist for advice if you are taking other medications, have problems with your stomach or kidneys, or are pregnant. You can find more details below, in the section about pills.
3. Put a cold compress on the cheek
Wrap the ice in a thin towel and hold it on the cheek, right next to the cheekbone, for no more than 20 minutes at a time, with breaks between applications. The cold reduces the swelling and slightly numbs the area. Do not apply heat to a swollen cheek: it may worsen the swelling.
4. Use an anesthetic gel for the gums
The gels in the pharmacy, usually containing benzocaine or lidocaine, numb the area for a short time. Use them only for as long as necessary. Do not use them on children under 2 years of age: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that benzocaine can cause methemoglobinemia in them, a serious blood disorder.
5. Sleep with your head higher
When you lie down, the pain can pulse more strongly. Put an extra pillow to keep your head higher than your body. Many patients say that the nighttime pain becomes more bearable that way.
6. Remove food debris with a toothpick
Sometimes the pain comes from a piece of food stuck between your teeth, which presses on the gums. Gently slide the toothpicks between the teeth in the area without forcing the gums.
7. Avoid very cold, hot or sweet foods
A tooth with a cavity or an inflamed nerve reacts strongly to temperature and sugar. Until you see the dentist, choose soft food at room temperature, chew on the other side and do not smoke. Smoking aggravates many dental problems.
8. Cinnamon oil
Cinnamon oil contains eugenol, a substance with a mild anesthetic effect, which is also used by dentists in some dental dressings. Put a drop on a piece of cotton wool and hold it for a few minutes on the painful tooth. Do not pour it directly onto the gums and do not use it too often, because in excess it irritates the tissues. It is not suitable for children.
9. Stirring with diluted oxygenated water
Oxygenated water of 3%, mixed with the same amount of water, can be used for a short rinse, especially if you have inflamed gums as well. Rinse for about 30 seconds, spit it out, then rinse with plain water. Do not swallow it, do not use it undiluted, and do not use it on children.
10. Garlic, with caution
Crushed garlic releases allicin, a substance with antibacterial effect. However, the evidence that it can relieve toothache is weak. If you want to try it, chew a clove of garlic on the painful area, but do not keep crushed garlic stuck to the gum: it can cause burns of the mucous membrane.
What not to do when your groin hurts:
- Do not put aspirin directly on the tooth or on the gums, because it burns the mucous membrane;
- do not put heat on the swollen cheek;
- Do not take antibiotics left over from other treatment or without a prescription;
- Do not postpone the consultation just because the pain subsided after taking a pill.
What pills can you take for toothache pain?
For toothache, the first options are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, taken alone or together with paracetamol. This is recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA) guide published in 2024 for adolescents over 12 years and adults. The guide shows that these variants relieve toothache better and safer than opioids.
- Ibuprofen calms the pain and also reduces the inflammation.
- Paracetamol is the alternative when you can't take anti-inflammatories, for example if you have an ulcer, kidney disease, are taking anticoagulants, or are pregnant.
- Children under 16 years of age should not take aspirin.
- Follow the dose and interval in the package leaflet and do not take more than one product with the same active substance at the same time.
The antibiotic does not relieve the pain of toothache and should not be taken without a prescription. The doctor prescribes it only when an infection spreads, for example an abscess with swelling or fever. In most cases, the cause is resolved by tooth treatment, not by pills. If the pain does not subside with painkillers, it is a clear sign that you need to see a dentist.
Why does your groin hurt? The most common causes
Toothache almost always has a specific cause, which the dentist identifies during the consultation and, most often, with an X-ray. The most common are:
- Caria which gets close to the nerve: pain when sweet, cold or hot, that passes quickly.
- Pulpita, that is to say inflammation of the dentinal nerve: Strong, pulsating pain that occurs alone and worsens at night. It is usually treated with canal treatment.
- Dental abscess: pain when bitten, swelling, unpleasant taste, sometimes fever. See How to recognize a dental abscess.
- Tooth fracture: short and sharp pain when you sneeze.
- Problems of the gingiva: An inflamed gum or a periodontal pocket can hurt like a toothache. Find out more about Inflamed and painful gums.
- The Mind Soup which erupts hard and inflames the gums around it.
- Tooth clenching in sleep (bruxism), which gives you tooth and jaw pain in the morning. See What can you do to stop grinding your teeth?.
- Sinusitis, This can cause pain in the upper back, especially when you bend over.
Why does the mass hurt more at night?
The pain of a headache seems stronger at night for two reasons. When you lie down, the blood flows more easily towards the head, and the pressure around the inflamed nerve increases. In addition, in the quiet of the night there is nothing to distract you.
I can help you with an analgesic taken before bed, according to the package leaflet, an extra pillow and a wash with warm water and salt. If the pain wakes you from sleep, most often the tooth nerve is already inflamed, and that doesn’t go away on its own.
Why does the mass hurt cold or hot?
Short cold pain that disappears within a few seconds usually comes from dentine sensitivity or a small cavity. You can find a detailed explanation of it in the article about The causes of tooth sensitivity.
Pain that persists even after you finish drinking can mean that the tooth nerve is inflamed and needs treatment.
How long can a toothache last?
Pain caused by sensitivity or a mild inflammation of the gums can subside within a few days. The pain caused by a deep cavity, inflamed nerve, or abscess does not go away on its own: it may subside for a while, then return, often more severely. The NHS recommends seeing a dentist if the pain lasts longer than 2 days.
Beware of a deceptive sign: if severe pain suddenly disappears, it does not necessarily mean that the problem has been solved. Sometimes the tooth nerve has died, and the infection can continue without pain.
When should you go to the dentist urgently?
Schedule an appointment with the dentist as soon as possible if the pain:
- lasts more than 2 days;
- does not pass with painkillers;
- comes with fever, pain when bitten, red gums or an unpleasant taste in the mouth;
- it comes with swelling of the cheek or jaw.
Go immediately to the emergency room or call 112 if the swelling in your mouth or throat is making it difficult to breathe, swallowing or speaking, or if the area around your eye swells, these are signs of an infection that is spreading and needs treatment on the same day.
How is the pain of gout treated in the clinic?
The treatment depends on the cause; therefore, the first step is the diagnosis: a clinical examination and, most often, an X-ray. At Chiromax, the X-ray and 3D tomography are performed on the spot, in its own dental imaging center, So you find out the cause of the pain during the same visit.
- Carie: removal of tartar and filling.
- Inflamed or infected nerve: canal treatment, which keeps the tooth.
- Abscess: drainage of the infection, treatment of the tooth and, when appropriate, the antibiotic prescribed by the doctor.
- Cracks: the restoration of the tooth or a crown.
- A mind or a tooth that can no longer be saved: extraction, performed by the surgeon. See the page Oronomic-Maxillofacial Surgery.
Chiromax Clinic has been operating in Galați since 2004, at Domnească Street no. 82, from Monday to Friday, between 8:00 and 20:00. Reservations can be made at 0236 491 112. The updated prices are on the page. prices.
How do you prevent toothache?
Most toothaches start from cavities and gum problems, which can be prevented or detected in time:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste;
- use the dental floss or interdental brushes daily;
- reduce sweets and frequent snacks between meals, which keep the mouth acidic;
- limit the intake of acidic and energy drinks and, when you drink them, use a straw;
- do not smoke: smoking affects the gums and stains the teeth;
- Go for a check-up at least once every 6 months or as often as your doctor recommends. See also 12 signs that show you need to go to the dentist.
Sources:
- NHS, Toothache. nhs.uk/conditions/toothache
- FDA, warning regarding oral products with benzocaine, May 2018. fda.gov
- American Dental Association, guide for the management of acute dental pain in adolescents and adults, JADA, February 2024. ada.org
Frequently asked questions about toothache pain
What does it mean when all your teeth hurt?
When you lose several teeth at once, the cause is rarely a cavity. The most common explanations are teeth grinding in sleep, sinusitis, generalized inflammation of the gums, or tooth sensitivity. If the pain lasts longer than a few days, go for an examination to find out the cause.
What pills are taken for toothache?
The most commonly used are ibuprofen and paracetamol, either alone or together, according to the package leaflet. Ibuprofen also reduces inflammation. If you have an ulcer, kidney disease, are taking anticoagulants, or are pregnant, ask the pharmacist for advice. The antibiotic does not relieve pain and should only be taken with a prescription.
What to do when your groin hurts at night?
Take an analgesic before going to bed, according to the package leaflet; sleep with your head raised; and rinse your mouth with warm water and salt. Avoid eating cold, hot or sweet food in the evening. If the pain wakes you from sleep, the tooth nerve is probably inflamed and you need to see a doctor.
What are the causes of tooth nerve pain?
The tooth nerve most often becomes inflamed due to a deep cavity, which allows bacteria to reach the pulp. Other causes are tooth fissures, blows and old work that has been repeatedly repaired. The nerve pain is intense, pulsating and often occurs alone, especially at night.
Can the pain go away on its own?
The pain caused by sensitivity or a slight irritation of the gums can subside within a few days. The pain caused by a deep cavity, an inflamed nerve, or an abscess does not heal on its own. If it disappears suddenly, the nerve may be dead, and the infection can continue without pain.
When should you go to the emergency room with a sore throat?
Go to the emergency room or call 112 if the swelling in your mouth or throat is making it difficult to breathe, swallow, or speak, or if the area around your eye swells. In other cases, you need a dentist who can treat the cause of the pain.
Book an appointment
Does the mass hurt you? Schedule an appointment at the Chiromax Clinic in Galați. The X-ray is done on the spot, you find out the cause of the pain during the same visit and you receive the treatment plan.
