Using Your Dentist
What is a dental abscess and what should I do about it?
By The Local Dentist Editorial · Updated 13 July 2026
What a dental abscess actually is
A dental abscess is a localised collection of pus caused by a bacterial infection, usually starting from untreated tooth decay, a cracked tooth, or advanced gum disease. It can form at the root of a tooth (a periapical abscess) or in the gum beside a tooth (a periodontal abscess). Typical symptoms include a persistent, throbbing pain that can spread to the ear or jaw, swelling of the face or gum, tenderness when biting or chewing, a bad taste from pus draining into the mouth, a raised temperature, and sometimes a visible red swelling or boil-like lump on the gum. The pain is often worse than ordinary toothache and may keep you awake.
Why you need a dentist, not just antibiotics
An abscess is a physical pocket of infection, and antibiotics alone rarely resolve it fully because they do not drain the pus or remove its source. A dentist needs to treat the cause directly — draining the abscess, and then either root canal treatment or extraction of the affected tooth depending on how badly it is damaged. A GP or pharmacist may prescribe antibiotics to help control spreading infection while you wait to be seen, but this is a bridge to dental treatment, not a substitute for it. If you take a course of antibiotics and the swelling settles, you still need to see a dentist to deal with the underlying tooth or it is likely to flare up again.
Getting seen urgently
Contact your dental practice as soon as symptoms start and explain you think you have an abscess — most practices, including NHS ones, prioritise urgent infection cases with a same-day or next-day emergency slot. If you do not have a dentist, or it is evening, a weekend, or a bank holiday, call NHS 111 (or use 111 online), who can arrange urgent NHS dental access based on your symptoms whether or not you are registered anywhere. Urgent NHS treatment in England is charged at a flat £27.40 (usual exemptions apply), covering measures like draining the abscess or starting treatment; a permanent fix such as root canal treatment or extraction may be billed as a separate follow-up course.
When it becomes an A&E or 999 emergency
Most abscesses are a dental emergency, not a medical one — but a minority progress into a genuine medical emergency, and you should go to A&E or call 999 if facial or neck swelling starts affecting your breathing or swallowing, spreads rapidly (especially toward the eye or down the neck), you develop a high fever with feeling very unwell, or your mouth will not open properly. These signs suggest the infection is spreading beyond the tooth into surrounding tissue, which hospital teams need to manage — a dental practice cannot treat airway involvement. If you are unsure which category you are in, call NHS 111 and describe your symptoms so they can direct you appropriately.
People Also Ask
Will antibiotics get rid of a dental abscess on their own?
Not reliably. Antibiotics can help control spreading infection but do not drain the pus or fix the underlying tooth problem — you still need dental treatment such as drainage, root canal treatment, or extraction.
Can a dental abscess be dangerous?
Left untreated, infection can spread to the jaw, face, neck, or occasionally the bloodstream, which can become serious. Prompt dental treatment for the abscess, and A&E/999 for red-flag swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, prevents this.
How much does urgent abscess treatment cost on the NHS?
Urgent NHS dental treatment in England is a flat £27.40 charge (free if exempt), typically covering drainage or starting treatment. Definitive treatment like root canal or extraction is usually a separate follow-up charge at the normal band.
Should I go to A&E for a dental abscess?
Only if you have red-flag symptoms — facial or neck swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, or infection spreading rapidly. Otherwise, contact your dentist or NHS 111 for urgent dental care rather than A&E.
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This article is general information for UK patients, not clinical advice, and NHS rules and charges change — confirm current rules on nhs.uk or speak to a dentist before acting. For severe facial swelling affecting breathing/swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma call 999 / go to A&E; otherwise NHS 111 for urgent dental access. Price figures are indicative benchmarks from ourmethodology.