What is the best pain killer for toothache?

[William]

Hi

I have had severe toothache all weekend and been unable to sleep for 2 nights now. I had been told that I need a root canal previously but been putting it off for financial reasons. I have now booked to see my dentist next week but I need strong pain killers to get me through the next few days.

I have tried different pain killers over the last 2 days with limited success. Can you tell which is the best killer to use for toothache pain?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Toothache is usually caused by inflammation of the pulp (nerve chamber of the tooth) and this is called Pulpitis and it can be very painful. Unfortunately the pulp of the tooth is not easily accessible to painkillers and that is why painkillers are not very effective in Pulpitis.

Sometimes in Pulpitis, even multiple Painkillers will not work and you will need to have the inflamed tooth pulp physically removed by having a procedure called pulp extipation (also called root canal stage 1) OR should you wish, have the whole tooth removed.

If you still wish to try painkillers, the Best painkiller for toothache without prescription is a NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) such as Ibuprofen as long as you don't have any medical contra-indications to it.


If I was in your position, I would book an emergency dental appointment today because root canal treatment / tooth extraction will stop your toothache much faster than painkillers. You can call our 24 hour emergency dentist on 0208 547 9997 to arrange prompt emergency treatment.

[soappy24]

im having my wisdom tooth taken out in weeks but im having terrible pains & cant sleep @ nite.ive tried every thing like Ibuprofen,paracetamol etc and nothing works.can i get stronger pills over the counters & which one`s
sophie

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Hi Sophie

Thank you for your post. You have tried pretty much the best pain killers for toothache available over the counter. You can try Opiate based analgesics but these have to be prescribed and they will make you drowsy.

Try to see if you can bring forward the extraction of the tooth. Removal of the tooth may be the fastest way to stop the pain.

[Lauranna]

I went to my emergency dentist yesterday and have been referred to my local hospital to have the teeth removed that are causing the problems. But the problem is, it could take 2 months before I am seen! I have been taking paracetamol and Ibuprofen or co-codamol and Ibuprofen but it's just not touching the pain. I cannot live with this pain for 2 months. I have phoned the dentist and asked if they could prescribe something but they said they can't. What should I do??? I am going crazy. This is 5 days with next to no sleep!

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

In terms of painkillers given, you are already on the strongest painkillers that can be given by a dentist. Your dentist cant prescribe you anything much stronger. You would have to see your GP for stronger painkillers than those that you are currently taking. However I think the better approach would be to either see an emergency dentist for root canal treatment or tooth extraction. You probably can be treated outside the hospital setting and dont need to wait 2 months in pain.

[PeriodontistSW15]

Ibuprofen is probably the best painkiller to take for toothache but it still won’t get rid of the entire pain if it is really bad. It may just take a little of the extreme pain off and make the discomfort bearable for a time until you see somebody. The only proper cure for toothache is to see a dentist immediately and get to the crux of the problem, as it may be serious.

[toothachehurts]

When severe toothache is the complaint, I don’t like people wasting time trying to discover what the best painkillers are; instead you should be spending your time ringing round emergency dentists trying to get in for an immediate appointment. Painkillers may ease the pain just a little but they won’t get rid of the problem. The best painkiller is to go to the dentist and get to know the main cause of the problem immediately. Don’t waste time trying different painkillers.