Bad toothache: what to do until you see a dentist

Toothache can feel unbearable, but there is almost always a way to be seen quickly.

The answer in 2 lines. Call your dentist first and say you are in pain: many keep urgent appointments. If they are closed, or you do not have a dentist, call 111 or use 111 online. In the meantime, paracetamol or ibuprofen can help. Ask a pharmacist which one suits you and follow the leaflet. Children under 16 should not take aspirin. Eat soft food, chew on the other side, and avoid sweet, very hot or very cold food and drinks. If swelling around your eye or neck appears, or swelling makes it hard to breathe, swallow or speak, go to A&E or call 999.

The first 3 steps

Ring your dentist and say you have bad toothache. If the surgery is closed, the answerphone may tell you what to do. No dentist? Use the NHS Find a dentist service to ask about urgent appointments, or call 111.
Ask a pharmacist about pain relief: paracetamol or ibuprofen can help. Tell the pharmacist your age, any other medicines and any health conditions, mention if you are pregnant, and follow the leaflet.
Go easy on the tooth: soft foods such as yoghurt or scrambled eggs, chew on the other side, use a soft toothbrush and do not floss around the sore tooth.

Stop: danger

Swelling around your eye or neck, or swelling in your mouth or neck that makes it hard to breathe, swallow or speak: go to A&E now. Do not drive yourself. Ask someone to drive you, or call 999 for an ambulance. Take your medicines with you.
Pain not controlled by painkillers: never go over the maximum dose on the leaflet. Call your dentist or 111 instead.

When to see a dentist, and how quickly

Within a couple of days: the NHS advises seeing a dentist if toothache lasts more than 2 days.
Sooner: if painkillers do not help, or if you have a high temperature, pain when you bite, red or swollen gums, a bad taste in your mouth, or a swollen cheek or jaw.
Not your GP: GPs cannot give dental treatment, so go to a dentist, or call 111 if you cannot get an appointment.

Easing the pain without making it worse

Painkillers: paracetamol or ibuprofen, at the dose on the leaflet or the dose your pharmacist gives you. Children under 16 should not take aspirin.
Numbing gel: pain-relieving mouth gels are sold in pharmacies. Ask the pharmacist which is suitable, especially for a child.
Salt water rinse (adults): dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, rinse and spit out. This is not suitable for children, who may swallow it.
Antibiotics do not treat tooth decay and do not replace a dentist. Only take them if they have been prescribed for you.

What not to do

Sweet, very hot or very cold food and drinks: they often set the pain off.
Smoking, which can make some dental problems worse.
Taking more painkillers than the leaflet allows, or mixing products without asking a pharmacist.
Taking antibiotics left over from an old prescription.
Driving yourself to A&E if your face or neck is swelling.

Finding help near you

NHS Find a dentist (nhs.uk): enter a town, city or postcode in England, then select Search. The results show practices offering urgent care, and you can ring them to ask for an urgent appointment.
NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk, England only): choose help for your symptoms and answer the questions. It tells you where to get care, including urgent dental care. You can also call 111 free of charge.
NHS Find a pharmacy: enter your postcode to find a pharmacist who can advise on pain relief while you wait.

What it costs on the NHS in England

Urgent treatment: £27.90 (charges from 1 April 2026, NHS Business Services Authority). This covers an assessment, X-rays, a temporary filling, draining an abscess, taking out up to 2 teeth and one urgent filling.
Further routine treatment is charged in bands: Band 2 is £76.60 (fillings, root canal treatment, extractions) and Band 3 is £332.10 (crowns, bridges, dentures).
Free NHS dental treatment: for example, under-18s, under-19s in full-time education, people who are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months, and people on certain benefits. If you are on a low income, the NHS Low Income Scheme may help.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own dental charges.

Good to know

If the pain suddenly stops, the tooth has not necessarily healed. The nerve may have died while an infection carries on, so keep your appointment.
If you have to pay for your appointment, ask the practice whether it is NHS or private care before you are treated.
Regular check-ups, cutting down on sugar and brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste make toothache less likely.

On a Saturday evening in Norwich, Tom's back tooth throbs and keeps him awake. His dentist's answerphone says to call 111. The adviser books him into an urgent dental appointment on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, a pharmacist recommends a painkiller that suits him. The dentist finds a deep cavity, puts in a temporary filling, and Tom pays the urgent treatment charge.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for the warning signs, self-care tips and how to get urgent care (NHS); high for the NHS dental charges from 1 April 2026 (NHS Business Services Authority) and the list of people who get free treatment. This guide gives general information. It does not replace advice from a dentist, doctor or pharmacist, and gives no doses: always read the medicine leaflet.