When is tooth pain an emergency?

Go to an emergency room or call 911 if you have swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading to your eye or neck, or jaw pain with chest pain. See a dentist the same day for a knocked-out adult tooth, facial swelling, fever with tooth pain, or bleeding that won't stop.

Why does my tooth hurt when I drink something cold?

A brief twinge that fades within seconds usually means exposed dentin from worn enamel or receding gums, and a toothpaste for sensitive teeth often helps. Pain that lingers for a minute or more after cold or hot is more likely an irritated nerve and is worth getting checked.

Can a tooth abscess go away on its own?

No. The pain can fade if the nerve dies or the pus drains, but the infection stays and can spread. An abscess needs a dentist to drain it and treat the source, usually with a root canal or an extraction.

Why does my tooth hurt only when I bite down?

Sharp pain when biting, especially as you release, is a common sign of a cracked tooth. It can also come from a filling that sits slightly high or an infection at the root tip. Chew on the other side and book an appointment.

What can I take for tooth pain until I see a dentist?

Over-the-counter pain relief taken as directed on the packet helps most people. Rinsing with warm salt water can soothe the area. Never put aspirin directly on the gum, as it can burn the tissue, and call a dentist if you need pain relief for more than a day or two.

Symptom checker

Tooth Pain Symptom Checker

Describe what the pain feels like, what sets it off and where it is. We'll show the causes that fit your answers best, how urgently to get it checked, and what helps until you can.

About 1 minute
Free, no sign-up
Your answers stay in your browser

Step 1 of 617%

First, do any of these apply right now?

These need urgent help rather than a checker, so we ask about them first.

How it works

Behind the numbers

Emergencies come first

Before asking anything about your pain, the checker screens for the warning signs that need help today: swelling spreading toward the eye or neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, fever, a knocked-out tooth and bleeding that won't stop. If any of these apply, it stops and tells you where to go instead of guessing at a cause.

How your answers are matched

Different dental problems tend to hurt in recognizably different ways. A quick twinge from cold that fades in seconds points toward sensitivity. Pain that lingers after hot drinks, or wakes you at night, points toward an irritated nerve. A jolt when you bite or let go is the classic sign of a crack.

Each answer adds weight to the causes it fits, and the checker shows the closest match plus up to two others that also fit. The urgency comes from the most serious of those, and certain signs, like swelling or pain that has lasted more than two weeks, raise it whatever the likely cause.

What it can't do

Many dental problems feel alike, and some only show up on an x-ray. The checker can help you decide how quickly to act and what to try in the meantime, but only a dentist can tell you what is actually going on.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When is tooth pain an emergency?: Go to an emergency room or call 911 if you have swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading to your eye or neck, or jaw pain with chest pain. See a dentist the same day for a knocked-out adult tooth, facial swelling, fever with tooth pain, or bleeding that won't stop.
Why does my tooth hurt when I drink something cold?: A brief twinge that fades within seconds usually means exposed dentin from worn enamel or receding gums, and a toothpaste for sensitive teeth often helps. Pain that lingers for a minute or more after cold or hot is more likely an irritated nerve and is worth getting checked.
Can a tooth abscess go away on its own?: No. The pain can fade if the nerve dies or the pus drains, but the infection stays and can spread. An abscess needs a dentist to drain it and treat the source, usually with a root canal or an extraction.
Why does my tooth hurt only when I bite down?: Sharp pain when biting, especially as you release, is a common sign of a cracked tooth. It can also come from a filling that sits slightly high or an infection at the root tip. Chew on the other side and book an appointment.
What can I take for tooth pain until I see a dentist?: Over-the-counter pain relief taken as directed on the packet helps most people. Rinsing with warm salt water can soothe the area. Never put aspirin directly on the gum, as it can burn the tissue, and call a dentist if you need pain relief for more than a day or two.

Read the full guides

General Dentistry
How to Stop a Toothache Tonight
What genuinely helps a toothache overnight, what does nothing, and what makes it worse. Practical holding measures for getting through until you can see a dentist.
General Dentistry
What Counts as a Dental Emergency?
A plain triage guide to dental problems: what needs care within the hour, what can wait until tomorrow, what can wait for a routine appointment, and when to go to a hospital instead.
General Dentistry
Tooth Abscess Warning Signs You Should Not Ignore
A tooth abscess is an infection with pressure behind it. Here are the early signs, the ones that mean emergency care tonight, and why antibiotics alone never finish the job.
General Dentistry
Signs You Might Need a Root Canal
Lingering heat sensitivity, pain on biting, a pimple on the gum, a darkening tooth. What each sign usually means, which ones are urgent, and why some infected teeth never hurt.
Dental Health
Tooth Sensitivity: What Causes It and What Actually Helps
Sensitive teeth are a symptom, not a diagnosis. How to read your own pattern, what desensitizing toothpaste really does, and which kind of sensitivity needs seeing now.
General Dentistry
Cracked or Chipped Tooth: What to Do Next
From a harmless enamel chip to a split root, here is how to tell what you are dealing with, what each one needs, how to hold it together until you are seen, and the signs that mean today.