Emergency dentist: urgent dental care, toothache and out of hours

Written and reviewed by the UK Hospitals editorial team
Last reviewed: 5 November 2026 · Next review due: 5 May 2027

This guide brings together information from the NHS and other official sources, listed at the end of the page. It is not medical advice.

If you need an emergency dentist, contact a dentist and ask for an urgent appointment, or use NHS 111. 111 can help even if you do not have a dentist, and when your dentist is closed at night, at weekends or on bank holidays. Depending on your symptoms, you should be offered treatment within 24 hours or within 7 days.

This guide is about NHS services in England. Services and rules are different in Scotland and Wales.

Go to A&E or call 999 if you have:

  • a serious injury to your face or jaw
  • heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop
  • severe swelling of your mouth, lips, throat or neck, and you are finding it hard to breathe or to open one or both eyes
  • a head or face injury that has made you pass out, be sick or have double vision

Do not drive yourself to A&E. If you are not sure whether you need A&E, use NHS 111.

When to ask for an urgent dental appointment

Ask for an urgent or emergency appointment, or get advice from NHS 111, if you have:

  • a knocked-out tooth or another injury to your teeth
  • severe tooth or mouth pain that affects your sleep or daily life and is not helped by painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
  • tooth or mouth pain that painkillers help with, but that is not going away
  • swelling, a lump, or a red or white patch in your mouth that is getting bigger or not going away, whether or not it hurts
  • a mouth ulcer that has not healed after 2 weeks or more, or is getting worse
  • bleeding or severe pain after having a tooth taken out
  • a broken or loose filling, crown, bridge, veneer or denture

How to get an urgent appointment

  • If you have a dentistIf you have a dentist, contact the practice and ask for an urgent NHS appointment.
  • If you do notIf you do not have a dentist, or cannot get an urgent appointment with your practice, use NHS 111 online or call 111. 111 can help you find a dentist or an emergency dental service, if one is available in your area.

To find a dentist for routine care afterwards, see how to find an NHS dentist.

At night, at weekends and on bank holidays

If your dentist is closed, use NHS 111 online or call 111. 111 can direct you to the right place when your usual service is closed, including urgent support for dental problems. This might mean finding a dentist, or an emergency dentist if one is available in your area.

  • Use 111 online if you are aged 5 or over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
  • If you have a dentist, their answerphone message or website may give an out-of-hours number. Check this first.
  • Do not go to A&E for toothache. Go to A&E or call 999 only for the serious problems listed at the top of this page.

How soon you should be seen

  • Knocked-out adult tooth1 hourWithin 1 hour, or as soon as possible
  • Other urgent treatment24 hours or 7 daysDepending on your symptoms

You should be offered urgent dental treatment within 24 hours or within 7 days, depending on your symptoms.

If an adult (permanent) tooth has been knocked out, you should be offered emergency dental care within 1 hour, or as soon as possible.

If you have a lump, a patch or an ulcer that has not healed, 111 may refer you to a GP instead.

While you wait for an appointment

A pharmacist can advise you on taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. They can also help with:

  • toothache
  • bleeding, swollen or painful gums
  • mouth ulcers you have had for less than 2 weeks
  • a lost filling or crown

Find a pharmacy open near you

Urgent and out-of-hours dental services on this site

These dental services have “emergency”, “urgent” or “out of hours” in their name. Some are NHS services and some are private. The name does not tell you whether you can walk in or what it costs, so call before you go and ask:

  • whether you need to be referred by NHS 111 first
  • whether the appointment is NHS or private, and what it costs

London

All dentists in London

North East

All dentists in the North East

North West

All dentists in the North West

Yorkshire and the Humber

All dentists in Yorkshire and the Humber

East Midlands

All dentists in the East Midlands

West Midlands

All dentists in the West Midlands

East of England

All dentists in the East of England

South East

All dentists in the South East

South West

All dentists in the South West

If none of these is near you, use NHS 111. You can also search for any dentist near you.

What urgent NHS dental treatment costs

  • Urgent NHS dental appointment£27.90In England (checked on 22 October 2026)

Most adults pay for NHS dental care. An urgent NHS dental appointment in England costs £27.90 (checked on 22 October 2026). This can include an examination, X-rays, a temporary filling, removing up to 2 teeth, draining an abscess, and 1 urgent filling. If you need more treatment afterwards, it may cost more.

Some treatment is free, such as removing stitches, stopping bleeding from your mouth, and repairing dentures.

You get free NHS dental treatment if, for example, you are under 18, under 19 and in full-time education, pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months, or you or your partner get certain benefits. You may need to show proof.

This guide helps you find a service. It does not give medical advice. Read more about emergency and urgent NHS dental appointments on the NHS website.

Sources

We checked this guide against these official pages on 5 November 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Tell us.