Dental emergency
Severe toothache
Pain that wakes the child up = same-day dental visit.
First 30 minutes
Do this right now
Rinse with warm salt water. Give weight-appropriate paracetamol or ibuprofen. Use dental floss to remove any trapped food. Never apply aspirin or clove oil directly to the gum. Book a same-day dental visit.
Find nearest emergency dentistDo
- Warm salt-water rinse
- Paracetamol / ibuprofen by weight
- Floss between the sore teeth
- Same-day appointment
Don't
- Never aspirin on the gum (burns tissue)
- Never heat on the outside cheek (spreads infection)
- Don't wait to see if it settles
When to go to the ER instead
ER only if pain comes with facial swelling and fever, or the child cannot swallow.
What happens at the dentist
The dentist finds the source: cavity, exposed nerve, abscess or trauma. Treatment ranges from a filling to a pulpotomy or extraction.
Related treatments
Other emergencies
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
Dental abscess with swelling
Facial swelling from a tooth is an emergency — same-day, no exceptions.
Broken bracket, wire or aligner
Rarely urgent — usually a next-day fix.
Soft-tissue injury (cut lip, tongue, cheek)
Mouth wounds bleed dramatically — but heal fast.
Tooth pushed into the gum (intrusion)
A tooth driven into the bone — see a dentist immediately.
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