A toothache is your tooth telling you something is wrong. Here is what you can do at home tonight, and why you should not stop there.
What you can do at home
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed on the packet.
- Rinse with warm salt water.
- Avoid very hot, cold or sweet foods and drinks.
- Keep the area clean by brushing gently.
- Never put aspirin on the gum, as it can burn the tissue.
These steps ease the pain, but they do not fix the cause. Painkillers can quieten a toothache for a few hours while the cavity, crack or infection underneath keeps growing.
Common causes
- Tooth decay (a cavity) that has reached the sensitive inner layers
- Infection or abscess at the root of the tooth
- A cracked or broken tooth
- Sensitivity to sweets or cold (see sensitive teeth treatment)
Warning signs: see a dentist urgently
Swelling, a bad taste in the mouth or fever can mean a dental abscess. This needs urgent treatment, so do not wait for it to burst. If swelling affects your breathing or swallowing, go to a hospital emergency department immediately.
What a dentist will do
At M Dental Care we see toothache patients the same day. Your dentist examines the tooth, takes a digital X-ray if needed, and explains the cause and the cost before starting treatment.
What will it cost?
A consultation is UGX 20,000, and a digital X-ray, if needed, is UGX 50,000. Treatment depends on the cause: a filling is UGX 120,000, a root canal UGX 400,000, and an extraction from UGX 50,000. Everything is confirmed in writing before we start.
Why not wait?
The sooner the cause is found, the simpler and cheaper the fix: a small filling today instead of a root canal or extraction next month.
Book a same-day appointment
Call or WhatsApp (+256) 0200 959927. We are open Monday to Saturday 8:00am–9:00pm and Sunday 9:30am–7:30pm, on Mbogo Road, Najjera–Kira. See our toothache treatment page or the emergency dentist page.