Many suggestions from helpful readers: Orajel, clove oil, Ibuprofen,… all the way up to antibiotics (it may be an infection, apparently) and gum grafts. And this: “Try antihistamine … Frequently pain in the upper molars, especially if you can’t pinpoint it, is the result of swelling in the sinuses pressing on the roots of those teeth.”

Thanks to all. I must say, though, that the most popular suggestion so far remains … bourbon.