Emergency dentist in Rugby · what to do tonight
Toothache: what to do tonight, and how to be seen tomorrow
Written by Dr Tim Bond, principal dentist at Rugby Smiles · Reviewed September 2026
The short answer: paracetamol and ibuprofen together, head up, nothing hot or sweet, and ring us at 8am. A toothache that wakes you at night or does not settle with painkillers is a tooth that needs looking at, and it is exactly what our £50 emergency slots are for.
Toothache is the most common reason people ring us in a hurry, and most of it is one of three things: a cavity that has reached the nerve, a cracked tooth, or an infection at the root. None of them fixes itself, but all of them can be made bearable overnight. Here is what to do until we can see you.
Emergency assessment £50, usually same day. How our emergency appointments work.
Do this now
Four things that genuinely help in the next hour, in order.
1
Painkillers, properly
If you can take them, paracetamol and ibuprofen together at the doses on the packet work better for dental pain than either alone. Do not exceed the packet dose, and never put an aspirin on the gum.
2
Warm salt water
Half a teaspoon of salt in a mug of warm water, swished gently around the tooth for 30 seconds. It cleans the area and eases a sore gum.
3
Head up, cold on the cheek
Sleep propped on two pillows; lying flat makes a throbbing tooth throb harder. A cold pack wrapped in a tea towel against the cheek for 15 minutes takes the edge off.
4
Nothing hot, cold or sweet
Room-temperature food and drink only, and chew on the other side. Sugar feeds the problem and a hot drink can turn a dull ache into a sharp one.
What is probably going on
Pain that comes with hot, cold or sweet things and fades quickly is usually a cavity or a leaking filling that has reached the sensitive part of the tooth. Fixable with a filling if you come in soon.
Pain that lingers for minutes after a hot drink, or throbs on its own, especially at night usually means the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or dying. That is a root canal or an extraction conversation, and the sooner the better.
Pain when you bite, with a tooth that feels tall or bruised points to infection at the root, or a crack. If the gum or face starts to swell, read our abscess guide now.
Pain at the back of the mouth with a sore, swollen gum in your late teens or twenties is usually a wisdom tooth. Wisdom tooth pain has its own guide.
Do not do this
- Do not put aspirin, clove oil or whisky on the gum. Aspirin burns the tissue and none of them reach the problem.
- Do not take more painkillers than the packet says because it still hurts. Ring us instead.
- Do not wait it out for a week to see if it goes. Nerve pain that stops on its own often means the nerve has died, and the infection that follows is worse.
- Do not go to your GP. They cannot treat teeth and will send you to a dentist.
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 toothache that usually means finding the tooth, an X-ray, and either a dressing, a filling or the first stage of a root canal so you leave out of pain.
What we actually do for toothache
We find the tooth, which is not always the one you think, take an X-ray, and tell you plainly whether it is a filling, a root canal, an extraction or an infection that needs settling first. Most people leave the emergency appointment out of pain even if the full repair comes later.
Prices are written down before anything further happens: white fillings from £140, root canal treatment £450 to £550, extraction from £160. If you are nervous as well as in pain, say so when you ring. We treat nervous patients every day, and IV sedation is available for treatment.
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
Will toothache go away on its own?
Sometimes the pain stops, but that usually means the nerve has died rather than the problem has gone. The infection that follows a dead nerve is worse than the toothache. Get it looked at.
How long can I leave a toothache?
If it settles completely with painkillers and does not return, book a routine check. If it wakes you at night, lasts more than a couple of days, or comes with swelling, ring us for a same-day slot.
Can I get antibiotics for toothache?
Only if there is an infection to treat, and antibiotics alone do not fix the tooth. We will prescribe them where they are needed, alongside treating the cause.
What painkillers are best for toothache?
For most adults, paracetamol and ibuprofen taken together at packet doses. Check with a pharmacist if you take other medication or cannot take ibuprofen.
Do I need to be a patient of yours?
No. Anyone in pain can ring us. You do not need to be registered, and new patients are welcome.
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: swelling or abscess · broken tooth · root canal treatment · Rugby Smiles Dental Clinic · 3 Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2LQ