Urgent dental help
Toothache, swelling or a dental injury? Check the urgent advice below to find the right help.
Call 999 or go to A&E
- Swelling in your mouth or neck that makes it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak.
- Severe swelling affecting your eyes, or serious injuries to your face or jaw.
- A lot of swelling in your mouth, difficulty opening your mouth, or a swollen or painful eye with a suspected dental infection.
- Heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop.
- A head or facial injury followed by loss of consciousness, vomiting or double vision.
Do not wait for the practice to reopen. Do not drive yourself to A&E; ask someone to take you or call 999 for an ambulance.
Phone the practice
0115 910 1447
Opening hours
- Monday–Friday
- 09:00 - 17:00
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- Closed
Call before travelling. An appointment depends on availability.
Practice closed or unable to get urgent dental help?
Call 111 or use NHS 111 online.
For children under 5, call 111 rather than using the online service.
When you phone
- Describe your symptoms. Tell the team what has happened and how you are feeling.
- Discuss the next step. The team advises on the next step.
- Confirm any appointment. An appointment may be offered if available. Call before travelling.
When to seek urgent dental advice
- Severe tooth or mouth pain affecting sleep or daily activities, or pain that is not going away.
- A knocked-out tooth: seek emergency dental help immediately, even if you cannot find it.
- Another dental injury that needs advice or assessment.
- Swelling in your mouth or face, especially if it is increasing, or dental pain with a fever.
- Bleeding or severe pain after a tooth has been removed.
- A broken or loose filling, crown, bridge or denture.
Advice while you arrange care
First aid and self-care are not a replacement for professional dental care. The serious emergency signs above need immediate medical help.
Toothache
Contact a dentist or NHS 111 for urgent advice if pain is severe, affects sleep or daily activities, or is not going away. While waiting, eat soft foods, avoid chewing with the sore tooth and avoid very hot, cold or sweet foods. Ask a pharmacist about suitable pain relief and follow the packet instructions. Do not exceed the recommended dose; children under 16 should not take aspirin. Swelling that affects breathing, swallowing or speaking needs emergency medical help.
Knocked-out tooth
Seek emergency dental help immediately, even if you cannot find the tooth. For an adult tooth, hold it by the crown (the white part), not the root. If dirty, rinse gently in milk, saline or saliva. If it goes back into its socket easily, try putting it back and bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it. Do not force it. If you cannot put it back, keep it in milk or saliva in a container and take it to the dentist. Never put a baby tooth back in. If you are unsure whether it is an adult tooth, keep it in milk and get immediate dental advice. If the practice is closed or cannot offer emergency care, call NHS 111.
Broken tooth or lost filling/crown
Contact a dentist or NHS 111 for advice on how urgently you need care. Keep any broken tooth fragment in milk or saliva in a container and take it to the dentist. Keep a lost crown safe and bring it to your appointment. Avoid chewing on the affected area. Do not use household glue. Ask a pharmacist for advice about managing discomfort while waiting.
Bleeding after treatment
Follow the aftercare instructions given by your treating dentist. If you have bleeding after a tooth has been removed, contact your dentist or NHS 111 for urgent advice. Heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop needs A&E or 999; do not wait for the practice to reopen.
Swelling
Contact a dentist or NHS 111 for urgent advice about dental swelling, especially if it is increasing or you have a fever. Do not try to drain the swelling yourself. Swelling that makes breathing, swallowing or speaking difficult, or affects your eyes, needs immediate emergency medical help: call 999 or go to A&E.
NHS information sources
Find the practice
4 St James's Terrace, Nottingham NG1 6FWPlease call before travelling.
For routine, non-urgent care, send an enquiry.