Dental Abscess, Hamilton

Swollen Gum or a Tooth That Throbs?

Q: Will a tooth abscess clear up by itself?

No: the pain may fade, for instance if the abscess bursts and drains or the nerve finally dies, but the infection stays in the bone around the root and flares again, often worse. A bad taste, or a small spot on the gum that comes and goes, is a sign it's still there. Sudden relief from toothache isn't a cure, so book a check.

Q: When is a dental abscess an emergency?

Most abscesses are painful rather than dangerous, but one becomes an emergency if the infection spreads to the floor of the mouth, the neck or around the eye. Go to A&E or call 999, rather than waiting for a dental appointment, if swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, you have a high temperature and feel unwell, or the swelling is visibly growing. For anything less severe, call us the same day, or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours.

Q: Can my infected tooth be saved?

Often, yes: root canal treatment removes the infected nerve, cleans the inside of the tooth and seals it, and the tooth can then last for many years with a crown or filling. Some teeth are better taken out, such as those cracked right through, broken below the gum or with too little bone left around them. An X-ray at your emergency visit usually shows which group yours falls into.

A dental abscess is a pocket of infection, either where a root ends in the bone or within the gum, and it only clears once the tooth itself is treated. In Hamilton we keep same-day weekday appointments for it, at £70, whether or not you're registered. Painkillers dull it and antibiotics may calm it, but neither one gets rid of it.An abscess is a pocket of infection that only goes once the tooth is treated. Same-day weekday visits in Hamilton, £70.

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Emergency visit £70 (£70 if you're not registered), free on our dental plans. Evenings and weekends: NHS 24 on 111. ¹

Go to A&E or Call 999 If

It's hard to breathe, or you can't swallow your own saliva

The swelling is spreading under your tongue, down your neck or up towards your eye

You can barely open your mouth

You're feverish, shivery or generally very unwell with a swollen face

The swelling has visibly grown within a few hours

These are signs the infection is spreading beyond the tooth. It's uncommon, but it's a hospital matter, not a dental appointment.

Signs It May Be an Abscess

A deep, pulsing ache that's worse lying down or when you bite

A lump on the gum, sometimes like a pimple that leaks salty fluid

A nasty taste or smell that brushing doesn't shift

A tooth that feels taller than its neighbours, or slightly loose

Puffiness in the cheek or along the jaw

Toothache that has suddenly stopped after days of pain. That usually means the nerve has died, not that the infection has gone.

Until We See You

Ways to stay more comfortable. None of them treats the infection.

Keep the Painkillers Steady

Paracetamol or ibuprofen at the dose on the box, if they suit you, taken on schedule instead of waiting for the pain to build. Aspirin held on the gum burns it, so don't.

Warm Salt Water, Gently

Half a teaspoon of salt in a mug of warm water, swished around a few times a day. Leave the lump alone; squeezing it can push the infection further in.

Cold Outside, Head Up at Night

A wrapped cold pack on the cheek, ten minutes at a time, takes the edge off swelling. An extra pillow eases the night-time throb. Avoid hot water bottles on the face.

Phone Us That Day

Ring 01698 767220 when we open, or book online. If we're closed, NHS 24 on 111 will assess you and point you to urgent care.

How We Treat an Abscess

Relieve the pressure first, then deal with the source so it doesn't come back.

Working Out Where It's From

We examine the area and take an X-ray. The infection may be coming from a dead nerve inside a tooth, from a gum pocket beside it, or from a wisdom tooth part-way through.

Letting It Drain

The pain comes from pressure. Opening the tooth or releasing the swelling, under local anaesthetic, is what brings real relief, and it's usually done at the first visit.

Saving the Tooth

If the tooth is worth keeping, we remove the infected nerve, clean the canals and seal them: root canal treatment, from £450. Often started on the day.

Taking It Out

Some teeth are too damaged to save. Extraction (from £125) removes the source. IV sedation is available if you're anxious.

Gum Abscesses

When the infection sits in a gum pocket, we clean it out below the gumline and then look at the gum disease behind it with our gum treatment plan.

Where Antibiotics Fit

For spreading infection, a temperature or swelling we can't drain straight away. They go alongside treatment, because they can't get inside a tooth whose nerve has died.

Why It Won't Clear by Itself

Inside a tooth with a dead nerve, bacteria have nowhere to go and your immune system can't reach them. The pain may fade for weeks if the abscess finds a way to drain, but the infection sits on in the bone and usually flares again, often worse.

Left long enough, it can dissolve the bone around the root and cost you a tooth that could have been kept. Treating it early is cheaper, simpler and kinder.

Fees

One fee covers the emergency visit. Anything more is priced in writing first. Prices checked October 2026. ¹

Emergency appointment	£70
Emergency appointment, not registered with us	£70
Removing the nerve as an emergency	£110
Root canal treatment, front tooth	£450
Root canal treatment, premolar	£525
Root canal treatment, molar	£595
Taking a tooth out, routine	£125
IV sedation, per session	£500
Wisdom tooth or surgical removal	£450

Our full fee list

Questions

Antibiotics, risks and keeping the tooth.

Can antibiotics cure a tooth abscess?–

No: they can calm a spreading infection, and we sometimes prescribe them alongside treatment, but they can't get inside a tooth whose nerve has died, so the abscess comes back once the course ends. Clearing it for good means dealing with the source, either root canal treatment to clean out the tooth or taking the tooth out. If you have facial swelling and a temperature, get seen the same day.

Will a tooth abscess clear up by itself?+

When is a dental abscess an emergency?+

I've got toothache. Can I get an emergency dentist appointment today?+

Can my infected tooth be saved?+

Should I get a root canal or just have the tooth out?+

Guides

Toothache Guides

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General dentistry · 6 minute read

Wisdom teeth: keep them or take them out?

Swelling or Throbbing? Phone Today

Same-day weekday visits in Hamilton for anyone, registered or not. If breathing or swallowing is affected, go to A&E now.

Phone 01698 767220Book a same-day slot

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