What to Do in a Dental Emergency (NHS 111)
Severe pain, swelling or a knocked-out tooth? Here's exactly what to do, when to call NHS 111, when it's A&E, and first aid until you're seen.
NearbyDentist Editorial
Independent UK dental-access guide
What should I do in a dental emergency in the UK?
For a dental emergency in the UK, your first call is NHS 111. They assess your symptoms and can direct you to an urgent dental appointment, often the same day or within a few days - you do not need to be a registered patient anywhere. An urgent NHS appointment costs the flat £27.40 charge (free for under-18s and other exempt groups), whatever treatment is needed to relieve the immediate problem. Go straight to A&E or call 999 if you have facial swelling that affects your breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading towards your eye or neck, uncontrolled bleeding, or a serious injury - these can be life-threatening. For knocked-out adult teeth, act fast: keep the tooth moist (ideally in milk or saliva), avoid touching the root, and seek dental help within the hour. For ordinary toothache, painkillers and salt-water rinses can help whilst you arrange urgent care.
Step one: call NHS 111
For any dental problem that cannot wait - severe pain, swelling, a broken tooth, a lost filling causing trouble - your route is NHS 111. They will assess you and, if needed, book you into an urgent dental service. The key reassurance: you do not need to be a registered patient anywhere to use this. Urgent NHS dental care is available to everyone, which matters hugely given how many people cannot find a regular NHS dentist.
What an urgent appointment costs
An urgent NHS dental appointment in England is charged at the flat urgent rate of £27.40 - the same as a Band 1 charge. That single fee covers the immediate treatment needed to get the problem under control, such as draining an abscess, a temporary filling or pain relief. It is free for under-18s, pregnant women and new mothers, and people on qualifying low-income benefits. Any follow-up restorative work would then be a separate course of treatment under the normal NHS bands.
When to go to A&E or call 999 instead
Some dental emergencies are genuine medical emergencies. Go to A&E or call 999 immediately if you have:
- Facial or mouth swelling that affects your breathing or swallowing.
- Swelling spreading towards your eye or down your neck.
- Bleeding that will not stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure.
- A serious facial injury or trauma.
A spreading dental infection can become life-threatening, so never "wait and see" with significant swelling.
What to do for a knocked-out tooth
A knocked-out adult tooth is a true time-critical emergency - acting within the hour gives the best chance of saving it:
- Pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part), never the root.
- If dirty, rinse briefly in milk or saliva - do not scrub.
- If you can, gently reposition it in the socket and bite on a clean cloth to hold it.
- If you cannot, keep it moist in milk (or inside your cheek) and get to a dentist or urgent service fast.
Do not attempt to reinsert a child's baby tooth. For other knocked or broken teeth, keep any fragments and seek urgent care.
Managing pain whilst you wait
Whilst you arrange care, you can ease symptoms safely:
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen at the recommended dose (follow the packet; ibuprofen can be particularly helpful for dental pain if suitable for you).
- Rinse gently with warm salt water to soothe and clean.
- Use a cold compress on the cheek for swelling.
- Avoid very hot, cold or sugary foods on the affected side.
Never place aspirin directly against the gum, and do not try to lance a swelling yourself.
After the emergency
Urgent care fixes the immediate problem, not the underlying one. Once the crisis passes, you will usually need follow-up treatment - a permanent filling, root canal or crown. If you do not have a regular dentist, use this as your prompt to get onto a list: see our guides to finding an NHS dentist and practices taking on new patients. Sorting out ongoing care now is the best way to avoid the next emergency.