Get urgent dental care

You should make an urgent dental appointment if you have: 

• Severe toothache that causes pain that does not stop or cannot be eased by over-the-counter painkillers.
• Dental abscess infections that cause swelling, pain and possibly fever.
• Broken or knocked-out teeth.
• Bleeding in the mouth following a dental procedure or an injury that does not stop by itself but can be controlled. If bleeding cannot be controlled in any way, emergency care may be needed.
• Swelling in the mouth or face that could be a sign of infection.
• Fractured, loose or displaced fillings causing pain.
• Severe bleeding from gums or conditions affecting other soft areas of the mouth (such as cheeks or tongue).

You can also ask for an urgent appointment if you are worried about conditions like:

• Mild or moderate pain that eases with pain relief
• Minor dental trauma
• Bleeding after having a tooth taken out
• Loose or displaced crowns, bridges and veneers
• Fractured or loose-fitting dentures and other appliances
• Fractured posts that do not cause pain
• Fractured, loose or displaced fillings that do not cause pain
• Bleeding gums

There are 4 ways to get urgent NHS dental care. 

The first place to try is an NHS dentist. They provide urgent care appointments during their normal working hours.

You should contact your regular dentist if you have one or you can find an NHS dentist at nhs.uk.

If you cannot get an appointment with a dentist, you can contact the services below for urgent care.

You should contact 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you cannot find an urgent appointment with any of the NHS dental services above and you have: 

• Severe toothache that causes pain that does not stop or cannot be eased by over-the-counter painkillers.
• Dental abscess infections that cause swelling, pain and possibly fever.
• Broken or knocked-out teeth.
• Bleeding in the mouth following a dental procedure or an injury that does not stop by itself but can be controlled. If bleeding cannot be controlled in any way, emergency care may be needed.
• Swelling in the mouth or face that could be a sign of infection.
• Fractured, loose or displaced fillings causing pain.
• Severe bleeding from gums or conditions affecting other soft areas of the mouth (such as cheeks or tongue).

The NHS 111 health advisor will talk to you about your needs.

If you do not need help right away, we may give you advice on how to treat the problem yourself until you can get an appointment.

If you do need urgent help, we may be able to find you an appointment during normal working hours at an urgent dental access centre or at an out-of-hours treatment service.

Most general hospitals do not have an on-call dental service for dental pain so you should visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 for emergency dental care.

You should only go to A&E or call 999 if you have:

• Serious injuries to your face, mouth, jaw or teeth
• 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 opening 1 or both eyes
• Any injury to your head or face that has caused you to lose consciousness, vomit, or have double vision