Toothache Out of Hours
How to manage dental pain until you can be seen, the warning signs that need urgent help, and who to call.
What Should I Do About Toothache at Night or at the Weekend in Glasgow?
Take ordinary painkillers as directed on the packet, keep your head raised, rinse gently with warm salt water, and avoid very hot, cold or sugary food and drink. If swelling affects your breathing, swallowing or eye, bleeding won't stop, or you've had a serious injury to your face, call 999 or go to A&E. Otherwise, St Vincent Smile dental plan members have out-of-hours cover, and everyone else can call NHS 24 on 111. From 9am on a weekday, call us in Finnieston, Glasgow on 0141 248 1183 for a same-day emergency appointment, £70.
Go to A&E or Call 999 If
- Swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, or you can't open your mouth properly
- Swelling is spreading to your eye or down your neck, or is getting bigger by the hour
- Bleeding won't stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure
- You've had a serious injury to your face or jaw
- You feel very unwell, with a high temperature, alongside the swelling
These are rare, but they're the situations where a dental infection or injury needs hospital treatment rather than a dentist, and they shouldn't wait until morning. For everything else, the steps below will usually keep you comfortable until you can be seen, and most toothache can safely wait for a dentist.
Managing Pain Until You're Seen
- Take ordinary painkillers as directed on the packet. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are the usual choices; check the pack, and ask a pharmacist if you take other medicines or aren't sure which is safe for you
- Keep your head raised when lying down. An extra pillow reduces the throbbing
- Rinse gently with warm salt water: a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, a few times a day
- Avoid very hot, cold or sugary food and drink, and chew on the other side
- If there's swelling, hold a cold compress wrapped in a cloth against the outside of your face
- Keep the area clean. Brush gently and clean between your teeth, because trapped food makes it worse
- If a filling or crown has come out and the tooth is sharp, cover the edge with sugar-free gum
- Don't put painkillers directly on your gum. They burn the tissue and don't ease the pain
In Pain on a Weekday?
Call us from 9am. New patients can also book an emergency appointment online.
Why Toothache Is Worse at Night
Lying flat increases the blood pressure in your head, so an inflamed nerve throbs more, and with nothing to distract you the pain feels louder. That's why keeping your head raised helps. Pain that wakes you, or that comes on by itself without hot, cold or sweet triggers, usually means the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or infected, often from deep decay, a crack or a large old filling. Painkillers can calm it for a while, but it won't settle on its own, and antibiotics don't fix it either. The tooth needs treating: usually a dressing or the first stage of root canal treatment, which relieves the pain quickly. Our root canal guide explains what that involves.
Who to Call Out of Hours
We're closed at weekends and in the evenings, apart from Thursdays, when we're open until 7.30pm. Out of hours:
- Dental plan members have out-of-hours cover included in their plan, and worldwide dental emergency cover. Our dental plans page explains what's included
- Everyone else, NHS or private, can call NHS 24 on 111 for advice and, where needed, an urgent out-of-hours appointment
- A pharmacist can advise on painkillers and minor mouth problems, and many pharmacies are open at weekends
Not everything needs to be seen the same night. A dull ache that eases with painkillers can usually wait until we open, as long as there's no swelling and you're otherwise well. Note when it started and what sets it off, which helps us find the cause.
Getting Seen by Us
Call 0141 248 1183 from 9am, Monday to Friday. We keep same-day emergency appointments for patients and non-patients, at £70, or free for dental plan members.2 New patients can also book an emergency appointment online; existing patients log in to the patient portal first, then book. The earlier you call, the better your chance of a time that suits you.
Our opening hours are Monday 9 to 5, Tuesday 9 to 5.30, Wednesday 9 to 6, Thursday 9 to 7.30 and Friday 9 to 5. We're at 23C St Vincent Crescent in Finnieston, about four minutes' walk from Exhibition Centre station and two stops on the low-level line from Glasgow Central, with pay-and-display parking outside. For pain or swelling, call rather than message, because WhatsApp replies come during opening hours.
What Not to Do
- Don't put aspirin or any other painkiller on the gum or tooth. It burns the gum and does nothing for the pain
- Don't take more than the dose on the packet, even if the pain is severe. Call NHS 24 instead
- Don't try to pull a loose or broken tooth out yourself, or burst a swelling
- Don't glue a lost crown back with household glue. Keep it safe and bring it with you
- Don't drink alcohol to numb the pain, especially alongside painkillers
- Don't ignore a tooth that has stopped hurting after days of pain. The nerve may have died, and the infection is still there
At Your Emergency Appointment
The aim is to get you out of pain at the same visit. Your dentist examines the tooth, takes an X-ray if it's needed, and explains what's wrong. Then, usually at that visit, the pain is dealt with: a dressing, a temporary filling, easing an infection, or the first stage of root canal treatment, £150, which removes the inflamed nerve tissue and settles the tooth. Any treatment beyond the emergency appointment is explained and priced before it's done, and you leave with a plan for the permanent fix, so you can decide without pressure. Our guide to dental emergencies covers knocked-out and broken teeth, lost crowns and swelling in more detail.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.