Out-of-Hours Toothache
The number to ring when we're shut, safe ways to take the edge off the pain overnight, the warning signs that mean A&E, and what happens once you're in the chair.
Who Can Help with Toothache in Broughty Ferry When It's Night-Time or the Weekend?
If Ferry Smile Studios is closed when the pain starts, ring NHS 24 on 111. They'll assess you over the phone and, where it genuinely can't wait, arrange an urgent dental appointment. Go to A&E instead if your face is swelling to the point that breathing or swallowing is affected, if bleeding won't stop, or if you've had an injury to the face. When we next open (see our opening hours), call 01382 477350 and we'll fit you in for an emergency appointment that day, £70.
When It's A&E, Not a Dentist
Toothache can be wretched, but nearly all of it can be managed at home until a dentist is available. There are a handful of exceptions, and these shouldn't be left to wait for the practice to open:
- Swelling of the face or jaw that interferes with breathing, swallowing or opening your mouth
- Swelling that's spreading fast, starting to close an eye or tracking down towards the neck
- A fever and feeling genuinely ill together with a swollen face
- Bleeding in the mouth that is still going after 20 minutes of firm, continuous pressure
- A significant impact to the jaw or face, above all if you blacked out or your teeth no longer meet properly
If any of those apply, head to A&E or dial 999. A hospital is able to drain a spreading infection, administer intravenous antibiotics and treat fractures, which is beyond what any dental practice can offer.
Where to Turn Out of Hours
Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm. Closed at weekends. When we're closed, your options are:
- NHS 24 on 111. Available round the clock and free to call from any phone. Say that it's a dental problem. A clinician will assess you over the phone and, if necessary, book you into an urgent NHS dental service
- A pharmacy. Your pharmacist will know which painkillers sit safely alongside anything else you take, and plenty of pharmacies are open on a Saturday
- Dental plan members have out-of-hours cover included, as described on our dental plans page
NHS 24 will help regardless of whether you're registered with any dentist. Unsure whether your pain counts as urgent? They'll work that out with you. One thing not to do is WhatsApp us late at night and wait for a reply: messages are only picked up once we're open again.
Still in Pain When We Reopen?
Phone us as soon as we open on a weekday and we'll see you the same day.
Getting Through the Night
- Use an over-the-counter painkiller at the dose printed on the packet. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are the standard options. Pregnant, on other medication, or living with asthma, stomach or kidney trouble? A pharmacist or NHS 24 can tell you which is suitable
- Add a pillow and sleep with your head raised, which reduces the pressure inside the tooth
- Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in warm water and rinse gently several times
- Gently brush and floss around the sore tooth, because a scrap of trapped food is often what's aggravating it
- If there's swelling, press a cold pack wrapped in a tea towel to the cheek for ten minutes at a time with ten-minute breaks
- Eat on the opposite side and steer clear of anything very hot, very cold or sugary
Where a filling or crown has come away and left a jagged edge, a pea-sized piece of sugar-free chewing gum moulded over it will stop it catching your tongue until morning.
What Not to Do
- Resting aspirin, or any other tablet, against the gum or tooth. The result is a burn on the gum and no effect whatsoever on the nerve
- Exceeding the dose, or taking two products that both contain the same drug. Before doubling up, run it past a pharmacist or NHS 24
- Numbing the pain with alcohol, particularly on top of painkillers
- Pressing or piercing a swelling on the gum
- Attempting to remove a loose tooth or a broken fragment yourself
- Sticking a crown back in place with household glue
- Finishing off antibiotics left over from an earlier prescription. Old tablets are seldom the right drug or the right dose
The 2Am Throb Explained
Lying flat sends more blood to your head, and a nerve that's inflamed inside the sealed chamber of a tooth has no room to expand. That rise in pressure is why an ache you could ignore all day becomes a pounding throb in the small hours. Without the distractions of the day, you also simply notice it more.
Toothache that stops you sleeping, or that comes on spontaneously with no hot, cold or sweet trigger, usually points to a pulp that's inflamed or infected. Painkillers can dull it, yet pain of this type seldom goes away for good by itself. Treatment is needed, typically a dressing or removing the nerve tissue, which is covered in our root canal guide.
Be wary of one thing in particular: a tooth that has been agony for days and then falls silent may simply have a nerve that has died. The infection hasn't gone and can turn into an abscess, so keep the appointment regardless.
Getting an Appointment with Us
Call 01382 477350 as soon as we open. Emergency appointments are held back every day we're open, and you don't need to be an existing patient to use one. The fee is £70, while dental plan members are not charged. 1 An emergency slot can also be booked online by new patients.
Check our opening hours for the current times, because pain that starts during the day can usually be seen that same day. If you're coming from Monifieth, Carnoustie, Forfar or across the bridge from Tayport, our getting here page explains how to reach 196 Brook Street, which is a couple of minutes' walk from Broughty Ferry station.
At the Emergency Appointment
Your dentist will ask about the pain, where it is and when it began, run a few tests on the tooth and X-ray it where needed. The goal is simple: you should walk out more comfortable than you walked in.
| The cause | What we'd normally do there and then |
|---|---|
| Nerve inflamed or infected | Nerve tissue removed and a dressing put in, £110 |
| Lost or broken filling | A temporary filling, £70 |
| Abscess | Drainage and treatment of the cause, with antibiotics reserved for spreading infection |
| Tooth beyond saving | Removal the same day if that's what you'd prefer, £125 |
| Crown off, tooth intact | Crown cleaned up and cemented back, £70 |
We'll tell you the cost before doing anything, and you'll leave with a written plan for the permanent fix to consider in your own time. 1 Broken or knocked-out teeth are covered in our dental emergencies guide.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.