What helps
- Rinse with warm salt water - half a teaspoon in a cup of warm water.
- A cold compress against the cheek for 15 minutes at a time.
- Over-the-counter painkillers taken as directed on the packet.
- Sleep with your head raised; lying flat increases the throbbing.
- Keep the area clean - gently floss out any trapped food.
What does not help
Holding an aspirin against the gum burns the tissue. Clove oil numbs briefly but does nothing to the cause. Heat applied to a swollen area makes an infection worse. And none of this treats what is actually wrong - pain relief buys you time to get an appointment, nothing more.
When to stop waiting
Call the same day for swelling in the face or jaw, fever alongside the toothache, pain that wakes you at night, or a bad taste that keeps returning. Go to an emergency department if swelling affects your breathing, swallowing or vision.
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