Emergency dental symptoms
Swollen face from a tooth: how serious it is and what to do
Facial swelling from a tooth is infection on the move. Most cases are drained the same day at the practice, but a few need hospital, and the difference matters. Here is how to tell.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, Principal Dentist · GDC 301711 · Last reviewed April 2026
What a swollen face usually means
A swollen face on one side, with a tooth that has been aching, almost always means a dental abscess has broken out of the bone. Infection at a root tip sits inside the jaw at first, where all it can do is hurt. Once it eats through the thin outer plate of bone it spills into the soft tissue of the face, and that is when the swelling appears, often over a few hours. The toothache sometimes eases at this point because the pressure has been let out. The infection is worse, not better.
The usual sources, most to least common:
Periapical abscess.
Gum (periodontal) abscess.
Pericoronitis.
Not a tooth at all.
How quickly you need to be seen
Call today.
Same day, within hours.
A&E now, 999 if breathing is affected.
The reason the floor of the mouth matters: infection from a lower back tooth can spread into the spaces under the tongue on both sides (Ludwig’s angina), pushing the tongue up and back until the airway closes, sometimes within hours. It is rare, but it is why a dentist will send you straight to hospital rather than treat you in the chair.
What to do while you wait to be seen
- 01Take paracetamol and ibuprofen as directed on the packet, together if you can take both.
- 02Do not put heat on the outside of your face. A hot water bottle or warm flannel encourages the infection to track towards the skin, and it can end up draining through the cheek and leaving a scar. A cool compress is fine.
- 03Sleep propped up on two pillows. Swelling and throbbing are worse lying flat.
- 04Rinse gently with warm salt water. If a gum boil bursts on its own, let it drain and keep rinsing. Do not squeeze it or try to lance it.
- 05Keep sipping fluids and eat soft food. Dehydration makes you feel worse and masks how unwell you are.
- 06Take a photo of your face every couple of hours. It is the easiest way to tell whether the swelling is growing.
How we treat a swollen face at the practice
The emergency examination is £30 including X-rays and takes about 15 minutes. You do not need to be registered. We check your temperature and how far you can open, then feel the swelling: soft and springy means pus that is ready to drain; hard, hot and tight means the infection is still spreading through the tissue. We find the tooth responsible by tapping each tooth, cold-testing the neighbours, checking for looseness and taking a digital X-ray, which shows the dark shadow of the abscess at the root tip or the bone loss around a gum abscess.
Drainage comes first, that visit wherever possible. There are three ways to do it:
- Through the tooth. We open the tooth, let the pus drain down the root canal, clean it and seal in a dressing. This is stage 1 of an emergency root canal and keeps the tooth.
- Through the gum. A small cut under local anaesthetic to let the pus out, known as incision and drainage. Relief is often felt within minutes.
- Extraction. If the tooth cannot be saved, taking it out drains the abscess and removes the source in one go.
One practical point: local anaesthetic works poorly in infected tissue, because pus is acidic and stops the anaesthetic reaching the nerve. If we cannot get you numb enough, we drain what we can, prescribe antibiotics, and finish the treatment a few days later. Antibiotics are used alongside drainage when infection has spread into the face or you have a fever, which facial swelling usually means. They are not a substitute: they cannot reach a dead tooth, and swelling treated with tablets alone tends to come back. Our antibiotics guide explains when they help.
Treatment fees are agreed in writing before we start. Evening (after 6pm) and weekend visits carry an additional out-of-hours charge.
| Treatment | Fee (from) |
|---|---|
| Emergency examination including X-rays | £30 |
| Emergency root canal stage 1 (drain and dress) | £200 |
| Completed root canal treatment | £450 |
| Extraction | £120–£260 |
| Wisdom tooth extraction | £350–£450 |
What happens if a dental abscess is ignored
An abscess never truly goes away on its own. Sometimes it bursts through the gum and the swelling drops, leaving a small pimple that leaks now and again. That is the infection finding a drain, not healing, and the bone around the root keeps dissolving in the background. The tooth becomes harder to save with every month.
The dangerous direction is spread. From an upper front tooth or canine, infection can travel up towards the eye, and because the veins around the eye have no valves it can pass backwards into the skull. From a lower back tooth it heads under the jaw and towards the airway. Either way the treatment becomes intravenous antibiotics and drainage under general anaesthetic in hospital, rather than a 15-minute appointment in Deepcar.
When it is more than a dental problem
Call 999 if your lips, tongue or throat are swelling, especially with itching, a rash or wheeze, as that is an allergic reaction. Go to A&E for swelling closing the eye, swelling on both sides of the chin, trouble swallowing or breathing, or fever with confusion. See your GP for a lump that swells at mealtimes and settles after, with no tooth involved. Out of hours, our emergency line is answered overnight by Dr Ijaz, and NHS 111 can advise as well.
Questions, answered
Common questions
Will antibiotics alone get rid of facial swelling from a tooth?
They may shrink it for a while, but the source is a dead tooth or an infected pocket that tablets cannot reach. Without drainage, a root canal or an extraction, the swelling comes back, often worse.
Should I go to A&E or a dentist for a swollen face?
A dentist, if the swelling is on one side, you can swallow and breathe normally and your eye is open. A&E if the eye is closing, you cannot swallow or open your mouth, the swelling is under the chin on both sides, or you have a high fever and feel very unwell.
Can I burst a dental abscess myself?
No. Squeezing or piercing it pushes bacteria deeper into the tissue and can spread the infection. If it bursts on its own, rinse with warm salt water and let it drain, then still get the tooth treated.
How long does facial swelling take to go down after treatment?
It usually starts to ease within 24 to 48 hours of drainage and is mostly gone in three to five days. If it is bigger 48 hours after treatment, or you develop a fever, call us.
Why has my toothache eased now that my face has swollen?
The pain came from pressure trapped inside the bone. When the abscess breaks out into the soft tissue the pressure drops, so the tooth hurts less. The infection has spread, which is why the swelling needs treating even though you feel better.
In pain? Don’t wait
Same-day emergency appointments, seven days a week.
£30 emergency examination including X-rays. Call now and a real person answers, or grab a slot online.
334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH · Free parking