Toothache at the weekend: what to do until you can come in

Toothache often gets worse on a Friday evening, when dental clinics are closed or about to close. Most toothache can safely wait a few days with the right care at home. What matters is recognising the situations that can't wait.

First: is it an emergency?

Call an ambulance (194) straight away or go to the out-of-hours dental service if:

• swelling is spreading towards your eye, ear or neck
• you find it hard to swallow, speak or breathe
• you have a temperature and feel unwell
• bleeding after an extraction doesn't stop even after 30 minutes of pressure with gauze
• you have hit your head or jaw and a tooth has moved or been knocked out

If a whole adult tooth has been knocked out, hold it by the crown, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline and don't scrub it. It is best to put it back in its socket and bite gently on a tissue; if that isn't possible, carry it in a glass of milk. The tooth has the best chance of surviving if you get to a dentist as soon as possible, ideally within an hour. A baby tooth should not be put back, but the child should still be seen by a dentist.

What helps at home

• A painkiller. Ibuprofen or paracetamol, exactly as directed on the pack. If you have stomach, kidney or liver problems, take blood thinners or are pregnant, ask a pharmacist which painkiller is safe for you.
• A cold compress on the outside. Ice wrapped in a cloth for 15 minutes, then a break. This helps with swelling.
• Rinsing with lukewarm salt water. Half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. It cleans around the tooth and soothes the gums.
• Floss. Sometimes the pain comes from a bit of food stuck between your teeth. Remove it carefully with floss.
• Keep your head slightly raised when you sleep. With an inflamed tooth, the pain often gets worse when you lie flat.
• Spare that side. If a piece of tooth has broken off or a filling has fallen out, don't chew on that side and avoid anything very cold or very hot.

What not to do

• Don't put aspirin or any other tablet directly on the gum. It doesn't help and can burn the lining of your mouth.
• Don't put a warm compress on a swollen cheek. Heat can make the inflammation worse.
• Don't take antibiotics left over from before. Most toothache is caused by an inflamed nerve, and antibiotics don't help with that. They only make sense when a dentist prescribes them after an examination.
• Don't try to pierce or “open” a swelling yourself.
• Don't put off seeing a dentist just because a painkiller has eased the pain. The cause of the pain is still there.

When to get in touch

On Saturdays we are open from 9:00 to 15:00, so if the pain starts on Friday or Saturday morning, call us or send a message on Viber or WhatsApp to 060 000 10 01. We are closed on Sundays, but you can send a message at any time; we reply on Monday as soon as we open.

Every weekday we keep a few appointments free for pain, swelling and broken teeth. At an emergency appointment the aim is to ease the pain and find the cause, and we make a plan for further treatment once things have settled.