It's 8pm. Your tooth is throbbing. Your regular dentist closed three hours ago and won't be back until 9am tomorrow. The pharmacy is closing in 45 minutes. What now?
Here's the realistic plan: get the pain manageable tonight, get treated tomorrow.
Step 1: Take ibuprofen if you can
Ibuprofen (200–600 mg) is more effective than acetaminophen for dental pain because it reduces inflammation, not just the pain signal. You can also alternate ibuprofen and acetaminophen every three hours for stronger relief — check the doses on the bottles or with a pharmacist if you take other meds.
Skip aspirin if you can. Don't put aspirin on the gum — it burns the tissue.
Step 2: Warm salt-water rinse
Half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Swish gently for 30 seconds and spit. It cleans debris around the tooth and reduces minor inflammation.
Step 3: Cold compress
Wrap a few ice cubes in a thin towel and hold against the outside of your cheek for 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. The cold reduces swelling and numbs the pain signal.
Step 4: Avoid trigger foods and the affected side
Skip hot, cold and sugary foods. Chew on the other side. Don't drink through a straw if you've recently had an extraction.
Step 5: Sleep with your head elevated
Lying flat increases blood flow to the head and makes throbbing worse. An extra pillow helps.
What if the pain is too bad to sleep?
Pain that won't respond to over-the-counter ibuprofen, especially with swelling or fever, is a same-day emergency. Book an appointment online — we offer after-hours emergency appointments for severe cases. Otherwise, walk in first thing in the morning Mon–Fri 9am–5pm.
When to go to the ER tonight
- Facial swelling spreading toward the eye or neck
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Fever above 101°F with infection
- Uncontrolled bleeding
For everything else, the goal tonight is just to get through it. We'll fix the underlying cause in the morning.