Tooth pain? Figure out what it probably is.
Answer a few quick questions about the pain, where, when, how long, and get the likely cause, how fast dentists usually want to see it, what helps in the meantime, and the right LA providers for exactly that problem.
Prefer to describe it in your own words? Chat with the helper: it asks a couple of questions, then shows dentists near you in Los Angeles, Orange County, Houston, Dallas or Fort Worth.
The 60-second tooth pain check
Pick whatever is closest, you can go back at any step.
Question 1
What best describes what's going on?
Tooth pain: quick answers
Can this quiz diagnose my tooth pain?
No, it maps your symptoms to the most likely causes and tells you how urgently dentists typically want to see each pattern. Only an exam with X-rays can actually diagnose a tooth. Use it to act with the right speed, not to skip the visit.
When is tooth pain an emergency?
Same-day: knocked-out or broken-with-pain teeth, throbbing with facial swelling or fever, and pain that keeps you from sleeping. Emergency room instead of a dentist: swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, facial trauma with possible fractures, or bleeding that won't stop after 20 minutes of pressure.
Why did my toothache suddenly stop hurting?
Sometimes the nerve inside the tooth dies, the pain stops but the infection doesn't. A toothache that vanished on its own after days of real pain still needs an exam; the quiet phase is often the abscess loading.
What can I take for tooth pain right now?
Over-the-counter pain relievers used as directed are the standard bridge to an appointment, many dentists suggest alternating types, but confirm with a pharmacist for your health situation. Skip the folk remedies: aspirin held on the gum burns tissue, and heat on a swollen face makes infections worse.