Dental Abscess Treatment in Broughty Ferry

A Throbbing Tooth or a Swollen Gum?

Q: Will a tooth abscess clear up by itself?

No. The pain may ease off, perhaps because the abscess has burst and drained or the nerve has finally died, but the infection remains in the bone surrounding the root and flares up again, often more severely. A persistent bad taste, or a small pimple on the gum that appears and disappears, tells you it's still there. Toothache that suddenly stops isn't a cure, so book in to be checked.

Q: At what point is a dental abscess an emergency?

The majority of abscesses are painful rather than dangerous; the emergency arises when infection spreads around the eye, into the neck or into the floor of the mouth. Don't wait for a dental appointment: head to A&E or call 999 if the swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, if you feel unwell with a high temperature, or if the swelling is plainly getting bigger. For anything milder, ring us that day, or call NHS 24 on 111 outside our hours.

Q: Can an infected tooth be saved?

Frequently it can. Root canal treatment takes the infected nerve out, then cleans and seals the inside of the tooth, after which the tooth can serve for many years with a filling or crown on top. Some teeth are better removed, among them those cracked all the way through, fractured beneath the gum or left with too little surrounding bone. The X-ray taken at your emergency appointment usually makes clear which applies to you.

An abscess is a build-up of infection, either at a root tip deep in the bone or inside the gum itself, and it will not go away until the tooth that's causing it is treated. We hold back same-day weekday appointments for abscesses at our Broughty Ferry practice, priced at £70, and you don't have to be registered with us. Painkillers take the edge off and antibiotics can settle it for a while, but neither actually removes it.An abscess is trapped infection that won't go until the tooth is treated. Same-day weekday appointments in Broughty Ferry, £70.

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An emergency appointment is £70, or £70 for non-registered patients, and free for dental plan members. Out of hours, ring NHS 24 on 111. ¹

Ring 999 or Go to A&E If

Breathing is difficult, or you're unable to swallow your saliva

Swelling is tracking beneath the tongue, into the neck or up around the eye

Opening your mouth has become almost impossible

You have a temperature, the shivers or feel really ill, together with a swollen face

The swelling has clearly got bigger over just a few hours

Any of these means the infection is moving beyond the tooth. It's rare, but when it happens it needs a hospital, not a dentist.

How to Tell It's an Abscess

A deep, throbbing pain that gets worse when you lie flat or bite down

A swelling on the gum, sometimes a spot that oozes something salty

An unpleasant taste or smell that stays no matter how much you brush

A tooth that seems higher than the ones beside it, or has a little movement

A puffy cheek or swelling along the jawline

Days of toothache that has abruptly vanished. More often than not the nerve has died; the infection hasn't gone anywhere.

Before Your Appointment

A few ways to feel more comfortable. None of them deals with the infection itself.

Take Painkillers on a Schedule

Ibuprofen or paracetamol, if they're suitable for you, at the dose on the packet and at regular intervals rather than once the pain has peaked. Never hold aspirin against the gum; it burns the tissue.

Rinse with Warm Salt Water

Stir half a teaspoon of salt into a mug of warm water and rinse gently several times a day. Don't press or squeeze the swelling, as that can drive the infection deeper.

A Cold Pack by Day, an Extra Pillow by Night

A cold pack wrapped in a cloth, held to the cheek for ten minutes at a time, reduces swelling. Sleeping propped up eases the throbbing overnight. Keep hot water bottles away from your face.

Contact Us the Same Day

Call 01382 477350 as soon as we open, or book online. Outside our hours, call NHS 24 on 111; they'll assess you and direct you to urgent dental care.

Treating the Abscess

First we release the pressure, then we tackle the cause so it doesn't return.

Finding the Source

We examine you and take an X-ray. The infection might stem from a tooth whose nerve has died, from a pocket in the gum alongside it, or from a partly erupted wisdom tooth.

Draining It

Pressure is what hurts. Once you're numb, opening into the tooth or draining the swelling is what gives proper relief, and we normally do it at the first appointment.

Keeping the Tooth

Where the tooth is worth saving, the infected nerve comes out and the canals are cleaned and sealed: root canal treatment, from £450. We can often begin that same day.

Removing the Tooth

Some teeth are past saving. An extraction (from £125) takes the source away. If you're nervous, IV sedation is an option.

Abscesses in the Gum

When a gum pocket is the source, we clean beneath the gumline, then address the underlying gum disease through our gum treatment programme.

The Role of Antibiotics

For infection that's spreading, a fever, or swelling we can't drain immediately. They complement treatment rather than replace it, because they can't reach inside a tooth with a dead nerve.

Why Waiting Doesn't Work

Once the nerve in a tooth has died, bacteria inside it are beyond the reach of your immune system and have nowhere else to go. If the abscess finds a route to drain, the pain can ease for weeks, but the infection stays put in the bone and almost always flares again, frequently worse than before.

Given enough time, it can eat away the bone surrounding the root, and you lose a tooth that could have been saved. Dealing with it early is less expensive, less involved and less painful.

What It Costs

The emergency visit is a single fee. Any further treatment is quoted in writing beforehand. Fees checked October 2026. ¹

Emergency visit	£70
Emergency visit if you're not registered here	£70
Emergency removal of the nerve	£110
Root canal, front tooth	£450
Root canal, premolar	£525
Root canal, molar	£595
Routine extraction	£125
IV sedation, each session	£500
Surgical or wisdom tooth extraction	£450

See every fee

Questions

Antibiotics, the dangers, and whether the tooth can stay.

Will antibiotics cure a tooth abscess?–

No. Antibiotics can settle an infection that's spreading, and we do sometimes prescribe them alongside treatment, but a tooth whose nerve has died is beyond their reach, so once the course ends the abscess comes back. A permanent fix means treating the cause: either root canal treatment, which cleans out the inside of the tooth, or taking the tooth out altogether. With facial swelling plus a temperature, you should be seen that day.

Will a tooth abscess clear up by itself?+

At what point is a dental abscess an emergency?+

I have toothache. Can I get an emergency dental appointment today?+

Can an infected tooth be saved?+

Is it better to have a root canal or an extraction?+

Guides

Toothache Guides

All general dentistry guides

General dentistry · 6 minute read

Wisdom teeth: when to leave them and when to remove them

Throbbing or Swollen? Ring Us Today

Same-day appointments on weekdays at our Broughty Ferry practice, for registered and non-registered patients alike. If your breathing or swallowing is affected, go straight to A&E.

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