Dental Abscess, Greenwich: Throbbing Pain, Swelling or a Bad Taste?

Q: Will a dental abscess clear up without treatment?

The pain may fade, especially once the nerve dies or the swelling bursts and drains, but the infection remains in the bone and returns, often more severely. Toothache that suddenly stops hasn't been cured, so have the tooth examined.

Q: Is a dental abscess dangerous?

Most abscesses are painful rather than dangerous, but infection spreading under the tongue, down into the neck or up towards the eye can become serious. Go to A&E rather than a dentist if swelling makes it hard to breathe or swallow, you have a high temperature, or the swelling is getting bigger by the hour.

Q: I'm in pain. Can you see me today?

Ring 020 8788 6688 before 9.30am and we'll aim to see you the same day. Emergency slots are held back every day we're open, Monday to Saturday, whether or not you're already a patient. The appointment is £70, free for dental plan members, and if the tooth needs root canal treatment we can often make a start there and then to ease the pain. When we're closed, NHS 111 can advise.

Q: Can the tooth be saved?

Often it can. Root canal treatment takes out the infected pulp and then seals the canals. If it's split right through, broken off below the gum or has too little bone left, removing and replacing it is the better option. We'll know which from an X-ray at your emergency appointment.

A dental abscess is a collection of infection at a tooth's root or in the gum next to it. Left alone it won't heal; painkillers hide it, and antibiotics can't cure it by themselves. Treating the tooth is the only fix, and we can usually see you the same day.A pocket of infection at a tooth's root or in the nearby gum. It won't clear by itself, and we can usually see you that day.

Call 020 8788 6688Book a same-day appointment WhatsApp

Emergency appointments are £70 whether or not you're registered, and free on a dental plan. Outside our hours, NHS 111.²

What to Do Now

Before you're seen.

Painkillers, Taken Properly

Take over-the-counter painkillers at regular intervals, following the packet, instead of waiting until the pain is at its worst. Never hold an aspirin against the gum, as it causes a chemical burn.

Rinse, Don't Poke

Rinse with warm salt water a few times a day to soothe the gum. Leave the swelling alone: no squeezing and no trying to pop it.

Keep Cool and Upright

Hold something cold against your cheek to bring the swelling down. At night, an extra pillow under your head helps calm the throbbing.

Call Us the Same Day

Call before 9.30am to be seen today; an emergency appointment is £70, registered with us or not. Go to A&E now if swelling spreads quickly or starts to affect your breathing, swallowing or eye.

What We Do

We ease the pain first, then deal with what caused it. Antibiotics can help, but they are never the whole treatment.

Find the Source

We examine you and take an X-ray to tell whether the infection started in a tooth's nerve, in the surrounding gum, or around an erupting wisdom tooth.

Drain the Infection

The pain eases once the pressure is let out, which we usually do at the same visit by opening the tooth or draining the swelling.

Root Canal Treatment

If the tooth can be saved, the infected nerve is removed and the canals cleaned and sealed: root canal treatment from £590, often started at the emergency visit.

Extraction

When a tooth is beyond saving, taking it out removes the source of infection. From £150, with sedation if you'd like it.

Gum Abscess

We clean the infected gum pocket beneath the gum line, then manage it within your gum disease treatment.

Antibiotics

Prescribed if the infection is spreading or you feel unwell, as an addition to treatment rather than a replacement. A tooth whose nerve has died has no blood supply, so they can't get inside it.

Call 999 or Go to A&E If

The swelling reaches your eye, moves down your neck or spreads under your tongue

Opening your mouth, swallowing or breathing has become difficult

A high temperature and a swollen face, or you feel very unwell

The swelling gets noticeably bigger within hours

Call Us the Same Day If

A throbbing ache that gets worse on biting or lying down

A swollen gum, cheek or face, or a small spot on the gum that oozes

A foul taste or smell that lingers

A tooth that stands proud when you bite, or feels loose

Days of toothache that suddenly stop; this can mean the nerve has died while the infection remains

Fees

You pay a single fee for the emergency visit, and any lasting treatment is priced in writing first. Prices checked October 2026.²

Emergency appointment, registered or not	£70
Emergency nerve removal	£110
Root canal treatment, incisor	£590
Root canal treatment, molar	£790
Routine extraction	£150
Surgical or wisdom tooth extraction	£295
IV sedation, per session	£500

See every fee

Questions

Saving the tooth, antibiotics and easing the pain.

Will antibiotics cure a dental abscess?–

No. They can settle an infection that's spreading, and we sometimes prescribe them alongside treatment, but they can't get to the dead nerve inside the tooth, so the abscess comes back when the course ends. Clearing it takes root canal treatment or removing the tooth.

Will a dental abscess clear up without treatment?+

Is a dental abscess dangerous?+

I'm in pain. Can you see me today?+

Can the tooth be saved?+

Guides

Toothache and Infection

All general dentistry guides

General dentistry · 5 minute read

Wisdom Teeth: Out or Not?

Swelling or Throbbing Pain? Call Us

Call before 9.30am to be seen the same day, Monday to Saturday, registered or not. If it's affecting your breathing or swallowing, go straight to A&E.

Call 020 8788 6688Book a same-day appointment

Google★★★★★4.8from 141 reviews"Everything was explained clearly and i felt well looked after and listened to!" Jana L., Google reviewRead reviews