Emergency Dental Care: What to Do and How We Can Help
Dental problems can happen suddenly and may be painful, frightening or difficult to manage at home. Severe toothache, facial swelling, a knocked-out tooth or damage to an existing filling can all leave you unsure whether you need immediate treatment.
Not every dental concern is an emergency, but some symptoms need prompt professional advice. Contacting a dental practice early allows the team to assess what has happened, decide how urgently you need to be seen and explain what you can safely do in the meantime.
For most urgent dental problems, your first step should be to contact a dentist rather than visiting your GP or going directly to A&E.
What Is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency or urgent dental problem is generally one that involves severe or persistent pain, infection, significant swelling, trauma or damage that could quickly become worse.
You should ask for an urgent dental appointment or contact NHS 111 if you have:
- Severe tooth or mouth pain affecting sleep or daily activities
- Dental pain that is not settling
- A knocked-out adult tooth
- A badly broken, loose or displaced tooth
- Increasing swelling in the mouth or face
- Signs of a dental abscess
- Bleeding that continues after a dental extraction
- A broken or loose filling, crown, bridge, veneer or denture
- A dental injury caused by a fall, impact or accident
The urgency will depend on your symptoms. A small painless chip may be suitable for a routine appointment, while a knocked-out adult tooth or rapidly increasing swelling needs much faster attention.
What Should You Do First?
Contact your dental practice and describe the problem clearly. Tell the team:
- When the symptoms began
- How severe the pain is
- Whether the pain affects sleep or eating
- Whether there is swelling or bleeding
- Whether you have a high temperature or feel unwell
- Whether the problem followed an injury
- Which pain relief you have already taken
This information helps the dental team determine whether you require immediate, urgent or routine care.
If the practice is closed, its recorded message may provide out-of-hours instructions. If you cannot contact a dentist or obtain an urgent appointment, call NHS 111 or use the NHS 111 online service.
Severe or Persistent Toothache
Toothache can be caused by decay, infection, a cracked tooth, gum problems or damage beneath a filling or crown. The location and intensity of the pain do not always reveal how serious the underlying problem is.
Ask for urgent dental advice if the pain:
- Is severe enough to disrupt sleep or normal activities
- Does not improve with suitable pain relief
- Continues for more than two days
- Is accompanied by pain when biting
- Comes with a bad taste, red gums or swelling
- Becomes increasingly intense or begins spreading
Painkillers may temporarily reduce the discomfort, but they do not treat decay, infection or a damaged tooth. A dentist will need to identify and address the cause.
Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may involve a filling, drainage of an infection, extraction or root canal treatment.
Facial Swelling or a Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is a collection of pus caused by an infection in or around a tooth. It requires urgent dental treatment and is unlikely to resolve properly without the source of the infection being addressed.
Possible symptoms include:
- Throbbing toothache
- Swelling of the gum, cheek or jaw
- Pain when biting
- Sensitivity to hot or cold
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- A high temperature or feeling generally unwell
Contact a dentist urgently if you have swelling, even if the pain is manageable. Swelling that is increasing or spreading needs particularly prompt attention.
Call 999 or go to A&E if severe swelling affects your mouth, lips, throat or neck and makes it difficult to breathe, speak or swallow. Immediate medical help is also needed if swelling is affecting your eyes.
A Knocked-Out Adult Tooth
A knocked-out adult tooth is a time-sensitive dental emergency. Contact a dentist immediately, even if you cannot find the tooth.
If you have the tooth:
- Pick it up by the crown, which is the white part normally visible in the mouth.
- Do not touch, scrape or scrub the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it gently using milk, saline or saliva.
- Try to place it back into the socket if it goes in easily.
- Bite gently on a clean cloth to keep it in position.
- Seek emergency dental care immediately.
If you cannot replace the tooth, keep it moist in milk or saliva and take it with you. Do not store it in plain water and do not allow it to dry out.
Never attempt to put a knocked-out baby tooth back into its socket. Doing so could damage the adult tooth developing underneath.
A Chipped, Broken or Cracked Tooth
A small, painless chip may not require emergency treatment, but it should still be assessed by a dentist. A more substantial fracture can expose sensitive parts of the tooth and may cause pain, bleeding or damage to the nerve.
Ask for urgent advice if:
- The tooth is badly broken
- You have significant pain or sensitivity
- The tooth is loose or has moved position
- There is bleeding from inside the tooth
- You cannot bite comfortably
- The damage followed a substantial injury
If a piece of tooth has broken away, place it in milk or saliva and take it to the appointment. It may sometimes be possible to reattach it.
Avoid chewing on the affected side and do not try to file down a sharp edge yourself. Treatment may involve smoothing, bonding, a filling, a crown or another restorative procedure.
A Lost Filling or Crown
A lost filling or crown may expose the underlying tooth, causing sensitivity or leaving it vulnerable to further damage.
Contact a dentist for advice, particularly if:
- The tooth is painful
- There is a sharp or broken edge
- You cannot eat comfortably
- The remaining tooth appears cracked
- The crown or filling became loose following an injury
Keep a lost crown safe and bring it to your appointment. Do not use household glue to reattach it, as this could damage the tooth and make professional treatment more difficult.
A pharmacist may be able to advise about a temporary dental repair product while you wait, but this is not a permanent solution and the tooth will still need to be assessed.
A Broken Bridge, Veneer or Denture
Broken dental work can create sharp edges, affect eating or place pressure on the remaining teeth.
Stop wearing a denture if it is cracked, painful or no longer fits correctly. Do not repair it using household glue or attempt to bend metal components yourself.
Keep any loose pieces and contact the practice. The dental team can determine whether the item can be repaired or needs to be replaced.
Bleeding Following an Extraction
A small amount of bleeding or blood-stained saliva can occur after a tooth has been removed. Follow the aftercare instructions provided by your dentist and avoid disturbing the healing area.
If bleeding continues, place clean gauze or a clean folded cloth over the socket and bite down with firm, steady pressure. Remain upright and avoid repeatedly checking the area, as this can disturb the forming blood clot.
Contact a dentist or NHS 111 urgently if the bleeding remains heavy or does not stop despite firm pressure.
Call 999 or attend A&E if there is severe, uncontrollable bleeding from the mouth.
Injuries to the Lips, Tongue or Gums
Soft tissues inside the mouth can bleed considerably after an accidental bite, fall or sporting injury.
Apply gentle pressure using clean gauze or a clean cloth. A cold compress held against the outside of the face may help with swelling.
Seek urgent assessment if:
- The wound is deep or gaping
- Bleeding does not stop
- An object is embedded in the tissue
- A tooth has also been loosened or displaced
- The injury followed a serious impact to the head or face
Do not attempt to remove a deeply embedded object yourself.
How Can You Manage Pain While Waiting?
A pharmacist can advise whether over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen is suitable for you. Always follow the dosage instructions and check before taking medication if you have a medical condition, take other medicines, are pregnant or are unsure about suitability.
While waiting for advice, you may also find it helpful to:
- Eat soft foods
- Avoid chewing with the painful tooth
- Avoid very hot, cold or sweet food and drink
- Use a soft toothbrush
- Keep your head raised when resting
- Rinse gently with warm salt water if you are an adult and have not recently had an extraction
Do not place aspirin, painkilling tablets, alcohol or other substances directly against the tooth or gum. These can damage the surrounding tissues.
When Should You Go to A&E or Call 999?
Most toothache, broken fillings and dental infections should be treated by a dentist rather than a hospital emergency department.
Go to A&E or call 999 if you have:
- Severe swelling affecting breathing, speech or swallowing
- Swelling affecting one or both eyes
- Heavy bleeding from the mouth that will not stop
- A suspected broken jaw
- A serious injury to the face or mouth
- A head or facial injury followed by unconsciousness, vomiting or double vision
Do not drive yourself to A&E when your condition is severe. Ask someone to take you or call for an ambulance.
What Happens at an Emergency Dental Appointment?
The first priority is to identify the cause of the problem, relieve severe symptoms and prevent the condition from deteriorating.
The appointment may include:
- A discussion of your symptoms and medical history
- An examination of the affected area
- An X-ray where clinically necessary
- Pain relief or drainage of an infection
- A temporary filling or repair
- Stabilising an injured tooth
- Removing a tooth when this is the appropriate urgent treatment
An emergency appointment does not always complete all the treatment required. A temporary measure may be provided first, followed by another appointment for a permanent restoration or further care.
Information about wider examinations and restorative options is available on the practice’s general dentistry page.
Seek Advice Rather Than Waiting
Dental symptoms can change quickly, particularly when infection, swelling or trauma is involved. Asking for advice does not necessarily mean that you will need emergency treatment, but it allows the dental team to assess the level of urgency.
Park Street Dental Practice can discuss your symptoms and advise on the appropriate next step, subject to appointment availability.
To ask about an urgent dental concern, visit the contact page or telephone the practice on 01757 706829.
