Dental problems can be frightening, especially when there is pain, swelling or blood. This page sets out current NHS advice so you can decide quickly where to go. It is not a substitute for medical assessment: if you are worried, call NHS 111 or, in a life-threatening emergency, 999.
The advice below is for England unless stated. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements, which are summarised further down the page.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have…
Go to A&E or call 999 for any of the following. Do not drive yourself – ask someone to drive you or call 999 for an ambulance, and take any medicines you use with you.
- Serious injuries to your face or jaw.
- Heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop.
- Severe swelling of your mouth, lips, throat or neck and you are having difficulty breathing, or difficulty opening one or both eyes.
- Swelling in your mouth or neck that is making it hard to breathe, swallow or speak.
- Swelling around your eye or in your neck with toothache, or a swollen or painful eye or sudden problems with your eyesight.
- A lot of swelling in your mouth, or difficulty opening your mouth, alongside a suspected dental abscess.
- Any injury to your head or face that has caused you to lose consciousness, vomit or have double vision.
Get an urgent dental appointment or call NHS 111 if you have…
The NHS says you should ask for an urgent or emergency dental appointment, or get advice from NHS 111, if you have any of the following. You should be offered urgent treatment within 24 hours or 7 days depending on your symptoms. If you have knocked out an adult tooth, you should be offered emergency dental care within 1 hour, or as soon as possible.
- A knocked-out tooth or any other injury to your teeth.
- Severe tooth or mouth pain that affects your sleep or daily activities and is not helped by painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
- Tooth or mouth pain that painkillers help with, but which is not going away.
- Swelling, a lump, or a red or white patch in your mouth that is getting bigger or not going away (painful or not).
- A mouth ulcer that has lasted 2 weeks or more without healing, or has got worse.
- Bleeding or severe pain after recently having a tooth removed.
- A broken or loose filling, denture, crown, bridge or veneer.
- A suspected dental abscess – the NHS says an abscess will not go away on its own and needs urgent treatment by a dentist.
How to get seen in England
Start by calling your usual dental practice. If it is closed, the answerphone may tell you what to do out of hours. If you do not have a dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment, call 111 or use 111 online, or contact a dentist near you and ask whether they can offer an emergency appointment.
Do not go to your GP surgery for dental treatment – the NHS says GPs cannot provide it. A pharmacist can advise on painkillers and on managing common problems such as toothache, sore or bleeding gums, recent mouth ulcers, or a lost filling or crown while you wait.
Most adults pay for NHS dental care. In England an urgent NHS dental appointment costs £27.90 from April 2026 unless you qualify for free treatment.
Knocked-out adult tooth: what to do right now
A knocked-out adult (permanent) tooth can often be saved if you act quickly. The NHS advises getting it treated as soon as possible – ideally within 30 minutes to an hour.
- Hold the tooth by the white part that normally sticks out of the gum (the crown). Do not touch the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, saline or saliva.
- Try to push it back into the socket in the gum.
- If it goes back in easily, bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it in place.
- If you cannot put it back, keep it in milk or saliva (spit into a clean container) – do not let it dry out.
- Get to a dentist as soon as possible and ask for an emergency appointment, even if you cannot find the tooth.
- Never put a baby (milk) tooth back in – it could damage the adult tooth developing underneath. Take the child to a dentist instead.
Chipped or broken tooth
If a tooth is only chipped, the NHS says to make a non-emergency appointment so it can be smoothed, filled or crowned. If a tooth is badly broken, call your dental practice or get advice from NHS 111, as it may need to be treated as quickly as a knocked-out tooth. NHS inform suggests keeping any broken-off piece you can find in milk and taking it with you.
Bleeding after a tooth has been taken out
A little oozing after an extraction is normal. The Oral Health Foundation advises biting firmly on a clean gauze pad or clean handkerchief for 20 minutes while sitting upright. If bleeding continues, contact your dentist or the urgent dental service, or NHS 111. If there is heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop, go to A&E or call 999.
Easing toothache while you wait
The NHS suggests the following while you wait for an appointment.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed on the pack – children under 16 should not take aspirin. A pharmacist can advise.
- Never take more than the recommended dose; a higher dose will not work better and can be dangerous.
- Use a pain-relieving mouth gel from a pharmacy or supermarket.
- Adults can rinse with salt water: dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, rinse and spit. Children should not do this in case they swallow it.
- Eat soft foods, avoid chewing on the sore side, and avoid very hot, very cold or sweet foods.
- Use a soft toothbrush, avoid flossing around the sore tooth, and don't smoke.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Scotland: phone the practice you normally attend first. NHS inform says the out-of-hours period is Monday to Thursday 6pm to 8am and Friday 6pm to Monday 8am; during those times phone the emergency dental service on 111. If you are not registered with a dentist, NHS inform lists a daytime dental helpline for each health board.
- Wales: contact your dentist if you have one. If you have an urgent problem, NHS 111 Wales lists the dental helpline for your area; in several health boards the route is to call NHS 111.
- Northern Ireland: contact your dentist if you have one. nidirect says people who are not registered may be able to get a weekday appointment through the dental access scheme, and at weekends and bank holidays should contact the Emergency Dental Clinics directly.
NHS inform: dental emergencies NHS 111 Wales: dental helplines nidirect: seeing a dentist
Common questions
Should I go to my GP with toothache?
No. The NHS says GPs cannot provide dental treatment. Contact a dentist, or NHS 111 if you cannot get an appointment. Go to A&E only if you have the serious symptoms listed above, such as swelling that affects breathing, swallowing or your eye.
What if my child knocks out a baby tooth?
Do not put it back in, as this could damage the adult tooth underneath. Take your child to a dentist as soon as possible.
What is the best way to store a knocked-out tooth?
If you cannot put it back in the socket, keep it in milk or in saliva (spit into a container). Hold it by the crown, not the root, and do not let it dry out.
Will I have to pay for emergency dental treatment?
Most adults pay. In England an urgent NHS course of treatment is £27.90 from April 2026, though you may need further treatment afterwards. Children and some other groups get free NHS dental treatment.
Is a lost filling or crown an emergency?
The NHS lists a broken or loose filling, crown, bridge, denture or veneer as a reason to ask for an urgent appointment or advice from NHS 111. If there is no pain, NHS inform in Scotland suggests contacting your dentist on the next working day.
Sources we used
- NHS: Emergency or urgent dental appointments
- NHS: Knocked-out tooth
- NHS: Dental treatments
- NHS: Toothache
- NHS: Dental abscess
- NHS: How much NHS dental treatment costs
- Oral Health Foundation: What to do following an extraction
- Oral Health Foundation: Safe Smiles: keeping your mouth safe while playing sport
- NHS inform: Dental emergencies
- NHS 111 Wales: Dental helplines
- nidirect: Seeing a dentist
Checked September 2026. Guidance changes, so always follow the advice of your own dental team. About our sources.