Maintain · Everyday care and prevention
Emergency dental care
Toothache, a broken tooth or swelling can be worrying. During our opening hours, call us as early in the day as you can and we will advise you. Emergency consultations are also available if you’re not registered with us.
How to get help
Who to contact depends on the time of day and how serious the problem is.
- During our opening hours: call us on 029 2038 8036 as early in the day as you can, and we will advise you
- If you’re not registered with us: emergency consultations are also available, at £100
- Outside our opening hours: call NHS 111 Wales for urgent dental advice
- If swelling is affecting your breathing, swallowing or vision, or bleeding won’t stop: call 999 or go to your nearest emergency department
What counts as urgent?
If you’re not sure how quickly you need to be seen, call us and we will advise you. As a general guide:
- Straight away, by calling 999 or going to an emergency department: the situations above, or a serious injury to your face, mouth or head
- As early in the day as you can, by calling us, or NHS 111 Wales if we’re closed: severe pain that painkillers don’t control, swelling in your mouth or face, a knocked-out adult tooth or a painful broken tooth
- Usually not an emergency, but worth booking an appointment: a small chip that doesn’t hurt, a lost filling or crown that isn’t painful, a broken denture or mild sensitivity
Toothache
Toothache can be caused by decay, a cracked tooth, gum problems or infection. Painkillers may ease it, but they won’t treat the cause, so it’s still important to be seen. Until then:
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed on the packet. Ibuprofen isn’t suitable for everyone, so ask a pharmacist if you’re unsure
- Don’t hold aspirin against the tooth or gum, as it can burn the gum, and don’t give aspirin to children under 16
- Avoid very hot, cold or sweet food and drink, and chew on the other side
- Raise your head on an extra pillow at night, which can ease throbbing
A broken or chipped tooth
A small chip that doesn’t hurt isn’t usually an emergency. Call us sooner if a large piece has broken off, the tooth hurts or you can see pink or red in the centre of the tooth, which may mean the nerve is exposed. In the meantime:
- Keep any broken piece in a little milk or water and bring it with you, as it can sometimes be bonded back
- Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a pharmacy
- Hold a cold compress against your cheek if there is swelling, and avoid biting on the tooth
A lost filling or crown
A lost filling or crown isn’t usually an emergency unless it hurts, but the tooth underneath can be sensitive and more easily damaged, so call us to have it seen. Until then:
- Keep the crown safe and bring it with you, as it can sometimes be cemented back
- Temporary filling material or dental cement from a pharmacy can protect the tooth, or hold a crown in place, for a short time
- Never use household glue to stick a crown back on
- If a crown is loose, take it out rather than risk swallowing it
A knocked-out adult tooth
Act quickly: the sooner an adult tooth is back in its socket, the more likely it is to survive. Don’t put a baby tooth back, as this can damage the adult tooth developing underneath.
Hold it by the crown
Pick the tooth up by the white biting part, not the root, which is easily damaged.
Rinse it only if it’s dirty
Rinse it briefly in milk. Don’t scrub it.
Put it back if you can
Push it gently into the socket, the right way round, then bite on a clean cloth to hold it in place.
If it won’t go back, keep it moist
Put it in a little milk, or hold it inside your cheek if there’s no risk of swallowing it. Don’t let it dry out.
Get help straight away
Call us at once, or NHS 111 Wales if we’re closed. If there are other injuries to the face or head, go to your nearest emergency department.
Swelling and dental abscesses
A dental abscess is a collection of pus caused by a bacterial infection. It often causes a throbbing pain that can spread to the ear, jaw or neck, along with swelling, a bad taste or a raised temperature.
An abscess needs treating by a dentist even if it bursts and the pain eases, so call us, or NHS 111 Wales if we’re closed. Painkillers can help in the meantime. Don’t try to burst it yourself.
If swelling is severe or spreading quickly around your eye or down your neck, or is affecting your breathing, swallowing or vision, call 999 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Bleeding after an extraction
Some oozing is normal for a day or so after a tooth is taken out, and your saliva may look pink. The blood clot that forms in the socket helps it heal, so try not to disturb it. If it bleeds:
- Sit upright and bite firmly on a folded, clean gauze pad or cotton handkerchief over the socket for 20 minutes, without checking
- For at least the first 24 hours, avoid rinsing your mouth, hot drinks, alcohol, smoking and strenuous exercise
- If bleeding hasn’t settled, call the practice that treated you, or NHS 111 Wales if it’s closed. If it’s heavy or won’t stop, call 999 or go to your nearest emergency department
What happens at an emergency appointment
Emergency consultations take place at our practice in Pontcanna, Cardiff.
A call first
Tell us what has happened. We will advise you on what to do, including whether you need an emergency consultation.
Examination
Your dentist asks about your symptoms, your health and any medicines you take, then examines the area, with X-rays only where they would help.
Your options, explained
Your dentist explains what they have found and the options for dealing with it, including their costs, before any treatment begins.
Next steps
If more treatment is needed, your dentist will explain it so that you can decide, and give you advice on looking after the area at home.
Fees
- Emergency consultation, non-registered patients
- £100
Private fee guide, September 2026. Where a fee is shown as “from”, the final cost depends on your treatment; your dentist will explain your options and their costs before any treatment begins. See all fees.
Questions
Can I be seen if I’m not registered with you?
Yes. Emergency consultations are available for patients who are not registered with us, at £100. Call as early in the day as you can. Afterwards, you can return to your own dentist for any further treatment, or ask about joining us as a private patient.
Should I go to A&E with toothache?
Usually not, as emergency departments generally can’t treat dental problems such as toothache. Call us, or NHS 111 Wales if we’re closed. Emergency departments are for the serious situations described above, such as swelling that affects your breathing or bleeding that won’t stop.
Will I need antibiotics?
Not usually. Antibiotics don’t cure toothache, and most dental infections are treated by dealing with the cause, for example by draining an abscess, treating the nerve of the tooth or removing the tooth. Your dentist may prescribe them if an infection is spreading or making you unwell.
What is dry socket?
Dry socket can happen a few days after a tooth is taken out, if the blood clot in the socket breaks down or comes away. It causes a throbbing pain that gets worse rather than better, sometimes with a bad taste. Call us if you think you have it: your dentist can clean the socket and may place a dressing to ease the pain.
My child has knocked out a baby tooth. What should I do?
Don’t try to put it back. Press a clean, damp cloth on the gum to stop any bleeding, and contact a dentist for advice. It’s worth having the mouth checked even if your child seems fine, as an injury to a baby tooth can affect the adult tooth developing beneath it.
Related treatments
Talk it through with us.
Every treatment starts with a conversation. We’ll explain your options and their costs, and you can take the time you need to decide.