Emergency dentist in Rugby · what to do tonight
Dental abscess and facial swelling: dentist today, or A&E now?
Written by Dr Tim Bond, principal dentist at Rugby Smiles · Reviewed September 2026
The short answer: swelling that is spreading, or any trouble breathing or swallowing, is A&E now. Everything else is us, today. An abscess is an infection at the root of a tooth or in the gum, and it does not go away on its own.
A dental abscess starts as a throbbing tooth or a tender spot on the gum and can become a swollen cheek within a day. It needs draining and the cause treating, and antibiotics alone rarely fix it. This page tells you which door to walk through, and what to do until you get there.
Emergency assessment £50, usually same day. How our emergency appointments work.
Do this now
Check the red box further down first. If none of it applies, do these four things and ring us at 8am.
1
Painkillers
Paracetamol and ibuprofen together at packet doses, if you can take them. Ibuprofen helps with the swelling as well as the pain.
2
Warm salt water
Every couple of hours, held over the area. If a gum boil bursts and drains, that is a relief, not a disaster; keep rinsing.
3
Cold on the outside
A cold pack in a tea towel on the cheek, 15 minutes at a time. No heat on the face: it draws the infection outward.
4
Sleep propped up
Two pillows. Lying flat makes the throbbing worse and the swelling settle in the wrong place.
What an abscess is, and why it will not wait
A tooth abscess is infection at the tip of the root, usually because the nerve inside the tooth has died from deep decay or a crack. The pressure builds inside bone, which is why it throbs and why the tooth feels tall when you bite.
A gum abscess sits in the gum beside the tooth, often where gum disease has made a deep pocket. It tends to be sorer to touch and can produce a small boil on the gum.
Either way, the pus needs a way out and the cause needs treating: a root canal, an extraction, or a deep clean of the gum. Antibiotics on their own calm it for a week, then it comes back. Gum disease treatment and root canal treatment are the two usual routes.
Do not do this
- Do not put heat on the face. It draws the infection outward and makes swelling worse.
- Do not try to burst a gum boil with a pin.
- Do not take leftover antibiotics from the cupboard. The wrong drug, at the wrong dose, masks the problem.
- Do not wait for the swelling to go down on its own if it is getting bigger. Read the red box.
What happens when you ring us
We examine the problem, take any X-rays needed, get you out of pain, and give you a written price for anything further before it happens. For an abscess that means an X-ray, draining the infection where possible, antibiotics if they are needed, and a plan for the tooth so it does not come back.
What we do on the day
We find the source with an X-ray, get the infection draining, which is the moment the pain drops, and prescribe antibiotics if the infection has spread beyond the tooth. Then we tell you straight what saves the tooth: usually a root canal, £450 to £550, or an extraction from £160 if the tooth cannot be saved.
The emergency assessment is £50. If you are nervous, say so; sedation is available for the treatment that follows.
Go to A&E or call 999 instead of us if
- Swelling that is spreading to your eye, under your jaw or into your neck
- Any difficulty breathing, swallowing or opening your mouth
- A high temperature with a swollen face, or feeling very unwell
- Bleeding that will not stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure
- A blow to the face with a suspected broken jaw or a lost consciousness
Out of hours, ring the practice on 01788 579 577 and the answerphone tells you how to get urgent advice, or call NHS 111. A GP cannot treat a dental problem.
Questions people ask at 9pm
Should I go to A&E for a dental abscess?
Only if the swelling is spreading to your eye or neck, you are struggling to breathe or swallow, you cannot open your mouth, or you have a high temperature and feel very unwell. Otherwise a dentist is the right place, and A&E will usually send you to one.
Will antibiotics cure a dental abscess?
No. They can calm the infection for a while, but the tooth or gum still needs treating or it comes back.
Can a dental abscess burst on its own?
A gum boil sometimes does, which relieves the pressure. The infection is still there and still needs treating.
What does NHS 111 do for a swollen face?
Out of hours, 111 can direct you to an urgent dental service. In hours, ring us directly; it is faster.
How quickly can you see me?
Usually the same day if you ring before 10am. Swelling is treated as a priority.
Ring us. Usually seen the same day.
Call before 10am for the best chance of a same-day slot. If today is genuinely full, we tell you straight away and book the earliest we have. You do not need to be registered with us.
Or book online · Read next: toothache · root canal treatment · gum disease · Rugby Smiles Dental Clinic · 3 Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2LQ