When something goes wrong with your teeth, the hardest question is often the first one: is this an emergency, or can it wait until Monday?
A dental emergency is any problem that needs treatment within 24 hours to relieve severe pain, stop bleeding, control an infection or save a tooth. That includes a knocked-out adult tooth, swelling in your face or gum, bleeding that won't stop, and toothache that painkillers barely touch.
If your face is swelling and it's affecting your breathing, your swallowing or your eye, call 999 or go to A&E straight away. For anything else in this guide, call us on 01527 550995 and our team will help you work out how quickly you need to be seen. We offer same-day emergency dentist appointments in Redditch for patients in pain.
The short version:
- Severe pain, swelling, heavy bleeding or a knocked-out tooth need same-day dental care.
- A small painless chip, a lost filling or a dull ache can usually wait a day or two.
- A&E is the right place for swelling that affects your breathing, swallowing or eye, or for a serious facial injury.
What Counts as a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is a problem where waiting could make the damage worse, let an infection spread or cost you the tooth. These are the situations we'd always want to see the same day.
Severe toothache: Pain that keeps you awake, throbs constantly or barely eases with painkillers usually means the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or infected. It rarely settles on its own for long.
Swelling in your face, gum or jaw: Swelling is often a sign of a dental abscess, a pocket of infection that can spread if it isn't treated. Swelling that is getting bigger needs attention quickly.
A knocked-out adult tooth: Time matters more here than in almost any other dental situation. A tooth put back within the first hour has the best chance of surviving.
A badly broken or cracked tooth: A break that exposes the inner part of the tooth, or causes sharp pain, leaves the nerve open to bacteria.
Bleeding that won't stop: Bleeding after an injury or extraction that doesn't settle with firm pressure needs to be checked.
Signs of infection: A persistent bad taste, a pimple-like bump on the gum, a raised temperature or feeling generally unwell alongside tooth pain can all point to an abscess.
The symptom people most often put off is pain that eases after a few days of throbbing. That can simply mean the nerve has died, while the infection underneath carries on quietly. If you've had severe pain that suddenly stops, it's still worth being seen.
What Is Not Usually a Dental Emergency?
Some problems are urgent in the sense that they need fixing, but they can safely wait a day or two for a routine appointment. These include:
- a small chip on a tooth that isn't painful
- a lost filling or crown with little or no pain
- a dull ache that eases well with over-the-counter painkillers
- a broken denture
- mild sensitivity to hot or cold
- a wobbly baby tooth, which is a normal part of growing up
For any of these, call the practice within one or two working days. If things change and the pain becomes severe, or swelling appears, treat it as an emergency instead.
Should You Call Your Dentist, NHS 111 or Go to A&E?
Knowing who to contact can save you hours of waiting in the wrong place. Here's a simple guide.
Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you have swelling that affects your breathing or swallowing or is closing your eye, or if you've had a serious facial injury, such as a suspected broken jaw.
Call your dentist the same day if you have severe pain, spreading swelling, a knocked-out tooth or bleeding that won't stop, during opening hours.
Call NHS 111 if the same problems happen out of hours, or if you don't have a dentist you can contact.
Book with your dentist within a day or two for a painless chip, a lost filling or a manageable ache.
Can You Go to A&E for Dental Pain?
In most cases, A&E isn't the right place for toothache. Hospital emergency departments don't usually have dentists on hand, so they can manage pain and serious infection but can't treat the tooth itself. A&E is the right choice when dental swelling is affecting your breathing, swallowing or vision, or after a significant injury to your face.
When Should You Call NHS 111?
NHS 111 is there when your usual dentist is closed, or if you don't have one. You can call 111 or use the NHS 111 online service. They'll assess your symptoms and direct you to an urgent dental service nearby if you need to be seen. It's also a good first step if you're unsure how serious your symptoms are.
What to Do in a Dental Emergency: First Aid by Situation
What you do in the first few minutes can make a real difference. Here's how to handle the most common emergencies while you arrange to be seen.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Pick the tooth up by the crown, the white part you'd normally see, and avoid touching the root. If it's dirty, rinse it very briefly in milk or cold water, but don't scrub it. If you can, gently push it back into the socket and bite on a clean cloth to hold it in place. If that isn't possible, keep it in a small container of milk or tucked inside your cheek, and get to a dentist within the hour. Don't try to put a baby tooth back in, as this can damage the adult tooth developing underneath.
Broken or Chipped Tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water and keep any pieces of tooth you can find. If there's a sharp edge catching your tongue or cheek, cover it with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a pharmacy. A larger break may need restoring with a crown to protect what's left of the tooth.
Dental Abscess or Swelling
Hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek in short bursts to help with swelling. Rinsing gently with warm salt water can ease discomfort around the gum. Avoid putting heat on the outside of your face, as it can encourage the infection to spread. An abscess won't clear up on its own, even if it drains or the pain eases, and the tooth usually needs treatment to remove the infection. Our root canal consultations with Dr Joshi explain how an infected tooth can often be saved.
Bleeding After an Extraction
Fold a clean piece of gauze or a cotton handkerchief, place it over the socket and bite down firmly for 20 to 30 minutes without checking it. Sit upright, avoid rinsing or spitting, and stay away from hot drinks, alcohol and smoking for the rest of the day. If the bleeding is still heavy after two rounds of firm pressure, call your dentist or NHS 111.
Lost Crown or Filling
Keep the crown safe and bring it with you, as it can sometimes be refitted. Avoid chewing on that side, and if the tooth feels sensitive, temporary filling material from a pharmacy can cover it for a short time. Never use household glue to stick a crown back on.
How to Relieve Tooth Pain Until You Can Be Seen
The quickest way to ease tooth pain at home is with over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, taken exactly as directed on the packet. Ibuprofen isn't suitable for everyone, including some people with asthma or stomach problems and those who are pregnant, so ask a pharmacist if you're not sure which is right for you.
A few other things can help:
- Keep your head raised with an extra pillow at night, as lying flat can make throbbing worse.
- Hold a cold compress against your cheek for swelling.
- Stick to soft, lukewarm food and chew on the other side.
- Avoid very hot, cold or sugary food and drink, which can trigger sharp pain.
Pain relief buys you time, but it doesn't treat the cause. If you're relying on painkillers to get through the day, the tooth needs to be looked at.
Mistakes That Can Make a Dental Emergency Worse
A few well-meaning habits can do more harm than good.
Putting aspirin on the gum: It's an old remedy, but holding aspirin against a sore tooth doesn't help and can cause a painful chemical burn to the gum.
Using heat on swelling: A hot water bottle against your face might feel soothing, but heat can encourage an infection to spread.
Handling a knocked-out tooth by the root: The root surface holds the delicate cells that help the tooth reattach, so touching or scrubbing it lowers the chance of saving it.
Waiting for it to go away: Dental infections don't resolve on their own. Pain that fades can simply mean the nerve has died, while the infection keeps going.
Can You Get Emergency Dental Treatment If You're Not Registered With a Dentist?
Yes. In England, you don't need to be formally registered with a dental practice to get treatment, and you can contact any practice directly. If you're in pain and don't have a regular dentist, NHS 111 can point you towards an urgent dental service, and many practices, including ours, see new patients for emergency appointments.
If you're looking for longer-term NHS care in the area, our guide to NHS dentist waiting lists in Redditch explains your options in more detail.
How Does Emergency Dental Care Work on the NHS?
On the NHS, urgent dental treatment is designed to get you out of pain and stabilise the problem quickly. That might mean draining an abscess, removing the nerve from an infected tooth, placing a temporary filling or taking out a tooth that can't be saved. Further treatment, such as a permanent crown, is usually arranged as a separate course of care.
NHS urgent treatment is charged at a set band rate, so it isn't free for most adults. You may be exempt from charges if, for example, you're under 18, pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months, or receive certain benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is classed as a dental emergency on the NHS?
The NHS treats severe toothache, facial swelling, dental trauma such as a knocked-out tooth, bleeding that won't stop and signs of spreading infection as urgent. Swelling that affects breathing, swallowing or vision is treated as a medical emergency and needs 999 or A&E rather than a dental appointment.
Can I go to A&E with toothache?
Usually not. A&E departments don't normally have dentists available, so they can't treat the tooth itself. Go to A&E if dental swelling is affecting your breathing, swallowing or eye, or after a serious facial injury. For toothache alone, contact your dentist or NHS 111.
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?
A small, painless chip isn't usually an emergency and can wait a day or two for an appointment. A chip that causes sharp pain, exposes the inside of the tooth or happened alongside a facial injury should be seen the same day.
Is a lost filling an emergency?
A lost filling isn't usually an emergency if the tooth isn't painful. Avoid chewing on that side and book an appointment within a few days. If the tooth becomes very painful or sensitive, or you notice swelling, contact your dentist sooner.
How long can a knocked-out tooth survive outside the mouth?
A knocked-out adult tooth has the best chance of being saved if it's put back within 30 to 60 minutes. Keeping it moist in milk or inside your cheek helps protect the root cells, but the sooner you're seen by a dentist, the better the outlook.
Can I call 111 for a dental emergency?
Yes. NHS 111 can assess your symptoms by phone or online and direct you to an urgent dental service nearby, particularly out of hours or if you don't have a regular dentist. If your symptoms are life-threatening, call 999 instead.
Still Not Sure? Call and Ask
It isn't always easy to judge how serious a dental problem is, especially when you're the one in pain. You don't need to be certain before you pick up the phone. Tell our team what's happening, and we'll help you decide whether you need to be seen today or whether it can safely wait.
If you're in pain now, you can book an emergency dental appointment with our team in Redditch, or call us on 01527 550995.
.avif)
.webp)
