How can I stop a toothache at night fast?

Rinse with warm water, floss gently, take a painkiller you normally use as directed, hold a cold pack to your cheek and keep your head raised. These ease the pain for a while, but the cause needs a dentist.

Is there an emergency dentist in Gajuwaka?

Bhanu Dental Care on Old Gajuwaka main road treats dental emergencies every day from 10am to 9pm. Call 074163 96634 before you come so the team can prepare. Outside these hours, go to a hospital if you have swelling, fever or difficulty swallowing.

When is a toothache an emergency?

It is an emergency if your face or neck is swelling, you have a fever, you find it hard to swallow or breathe, or the pain follows an injury. Go to a hospital for these signs; for severe pain alone, see a dentist as soon as possible.

Can a toothache go away on its own?

The pain may stop for a while, but that can mean the nerve has died, and the infection usually remains and can form an abscess. A tooth that has ached badly should always be checked.

Should I sleep on the side of the toothache?

It is better to sleep on your back with your head raised on an extra pillow. Lying flat or on the painful side can increase pressure and make the ache worse.

Toothache at Night? What to Do Now

Toothache at night: what to do until you can see a dentist

By Bhanu Dental Care, Old GajuwakaPublished 24 October 20265 min read

Quick answer

Rinse with warm water, floss gently to remove trapped food, keep your head raised, hold a cold pack to your cheek and take a painkiller you normally use as directed on the pack. Do not put tablets on the gum. Call a dentist in the morning, and go to a hospital straight away if your face is swelling or you have a fever or trouble swallowing or breathing.

Why toothache gets worse at night

Lying down increases blood flow to the head, which raises the pressure inside an inflamed tooth. There are also fewer distractions at night, so you notice the pain more. A toothache that keeps you awake is usually a sign that the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or infected, and it needs a dentist soon.

Illustration of a South Indian woman awake in bed at night holding her cheek because of a toothache, with the moon outside the window — Toothache often feels worse at night, when you lie down and have nothing to distract you.

What to do right now

Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area
Floss gently around the tooth in case food is stuck between the teeth
Take a painkiller you normally use, exactly as directed on the pack; check with a pharmacist if you are pregnant, have other conditions or take other medicines
Hold a cold pack or ice wrapped in a cloth against the cheek for 15 minutes at a time
Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow
Avoid very hot, very cold and sweet food and drinks, and chew on the other side

What not to do

Do not place aspirin or any tablet on the gum or tooth. It burns the gum
Do not put a heat pack on a swollen face; heat can spread infection
Do not use a lot of clove oil. A tiny amount on cotton held on the tooth may numb it briefly, but too much irritates the gum
Do not poke the tooth or gum with pins or toothpicks
Do not take antibiotics left over from before; a dentist needs to decide if you need them

Common causes of night-time toothache

Deep decay that has reached the nerve (pulpitis)
A dental abscess: infection at the root tip, often with swelling
A cracked tooth that hurts when you bite or release
A wisdom tooth coming through with swollen gum over it
Gum infection around a tooth
Grinding or clenching at night
Sinus congestion, which can make several upper back teeth ache

Illustration of a tooth cross-section with deep decay reaching the inflamed nerve and an abscess at the root tip — Deep decay that reaches the nerve is the most common cause of night-time toothache.

Go to a hospital straight away if

Some dental infections can become serious. Go to the nearest hospital emergency department, day or night, if you have:

Swelling spreading towards the eye, jaw or neck
Difficulty swallowing or breathing
A high fever or feeling very unwell
Bleeding that will not stop
A face or jaw injury, especially after a road accident or fall

What the dentist will do

The dentist examines the tooth and usually takes an X-ray to find the cause. If the nerve is infected, root canal treatment usually saves the tooth. Treatment depends on what is found:

Cause	Usual treatment
Deep decay reaching the nerve	Root canal treatment, then a crown
Abscess	Draining the infection and root canal treatment, or extraction
Cracked tooth	A crown, or a root canal if the nerve is affected
Wisdom tooth	Cleaning the area, and removal if it keeps causing trouble
Gum infection	Cleaning under the gum and treating the gum problem

Many night-time toothaches end in a choice between saving the tooth and removing it. Our guide to root canal vs extraction explains how to decide.

Emergency dental care in Gajuwaka

Bhanu Dental Care on Old Gajuwaka main road treats dental emergencies every day from 10am to 9pm. If you wake up with a toothache, call 074163 96634 when the clinic opens so the team can fit you in. Patients come to us from Sheela Nagar, Auto Nagar, Nathayyapalem, Pedagantyada, Duvvada and across Visakhapatnam.

How to prevent night-time toothache

Have a dental check-up every six months so decay is found while it is small
Get sensitive teeth checked before they turn into constant pain
Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, especially before bed
Cut down on sweets and sweet tea or coffee between meals
Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. For advice about your own teeth, book a consultation.