Toothaches range from "mildly annoying" to "I haven't slept in three days." Most are real but not urgent. Some are emergencies that progress fast without treatment.
Here's how to tell which one you have.
It's probably an emergency if…
- Pain is severe enough to interrupt sleep, work or eating
- The tooth or gum is visibly swollen
- You have a fever, a bad taste, or pus around the tooth
- Pain has lasted more than 24–48 hours and isn't improving
- Pain came on after recent dental work that didn't settle
- Pain spreads to the jaw, ear, neck or eye
Any of these, book an appointment online the same day.
It's probably not urgent (but still see your dentist) if…
- Sensitivity to cold that goes away in seconds
- Mild dull ache that responds to a single ibuprofen
- Brief food trapped between teeth
- Pain that comes only when biting on hard food
Schedule a routine visit within a week or two. If symptoms worsen, treat as emergency.
Why severe toothache rarely fixes itself
The tooth has a single nerve in a sealed chamber. When that nerve is inflamed or infected, the pressure has nowhere to go. Pain doesn't decrease with time; the nerve dies, the bacteria escape into the bone, and the symptoms shift from a sharp toothache to a deep ache plus swelling — that's an abscess.
"Waiting it out" works for headaches. It doesn't work for tooth nerves.
What we'll do
A quick exam, digital X-ray and clear diagnosis tell us which tooth and what's happening. From there it's usually one of: a temporary filling for a deep cavity, drainage and antibiotics for an abscess, a root canal start, or extraction if the tooth can't be saved. All these are completed the same day for most patients.
If you're unsure whether your toothache counts, we triage over the phone — book an appointment online.