Toothache at night or on the weekend. What should I do?
By Make Me Smile Dental Health Centre, Shastri Nagar Lane 2, Andheri West · Updated 1 October 2026
The short answer
Rinse with warm salt water, take a painkiller you normally tolerate as directed on the pack, keep your head raised, and call a dentist as early as you can. Go to a hospital emergency department straight away if you have swelling spreading to your eye or neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or a high fever.
Tooth pain has a way of arriving at 11 pm on a Saturday. Here’s how to get through until you can see a dentist, and how to tell when it can’t wait.
Go to hospital now if you have
- Swelling that is spreading towards your eye, down your neck or under your jaw
- Difficulty swallowing, breathing or opening your mouth
- A high fever with facial swelling
- Bleeding that won’t stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure
- A dental injury along with a head injury
These can be signs of a spreading infection or a serious injury and need urgent medical care.
Things that help until you see a dentist
- Rinse gently with warm salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water).
- Painkillers: take one you normally tolerate, exactly as the pack says. Don’t exceed the dose, and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
- Cold compress on the cheek for 15 minutes at a time if there’s swelling.
- Keep your head raised at night with an extra pillow.
- Avoid very hot, cold or sweet food on that side.
Common causes and what we usually do
| What’s happening | Typical signs | Usual treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Deep decay reaching the nerve | Throbbing pain, worse at night or with hot drinks | Root canal treatment |
| Abscess | Swelling, a bad taste, pain on biting | Draining the infection, then a root canal or extraction |
| Wisdom tooth infection | Pain and swelling at the back, hard to open your mouth | Cleaning, sometimes removal |
| Cracked tooth | Sharp pain when biting or releasing | Filling, crown or root canal |
Getting seen
We’re in Shastri Nagar, Andheri Lokhandwala, and open 9 am to 9 pm every day, including Sunday. Call +91 99873 07369 and tell us what’s happening, and we’ll try to fit you in the same day.
More questions
Should I put a painkiller tablet on the tooth?
No. Tablets placed against the gum can burn the tissue. Swallow them as directed instead.
Will the pain go away by itself?
Sometimes the pain fades because the nerve inside the tooth has died, but the infection usually stays and can flare up later as swelling. Get it checked even if it settles.
Can you see me today?
Call +91 99873 07369. We’re open 9 am to 9 pm every day, including Sundays, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day.