A dental abscess is a build-up of pus in the teeth or gums caused by an infection. It needs urgent treatment by a dentist. A dental abscess will not go away on its own.

Signs of a dental abscess include:

• intense toothache or pain in your gums
• redness inside the mouth, or outside the mouth on the face or jaw
• sensitivity to hot or cold food and drink in the affected area
• a bad taste in your mouth
• difficulty opening your mouth and chewing food
• a swollen face or jaw
• a high temperature

Ask for an urgent dentist appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

To see a dentist in an emergency or out of hours:

• call your dentist – if they're closed, their answerphone may tell you what to do

If you do not have a dentist or cannot get to an emergency appointment:

• call 111 or get help from 111 online – they can tell you where you can get help for your symptoms
• find a dentist near you – ask if you can have an emergency appointment

You may have to pay for your appointment. Find out more about NHS dental charges.

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

There are some things you can do to help with the pain until you can get dental treatment.

Dental abscesses are usually treated by a dentist. The dentist will drain away the pus.

If a problem with your tooth has caused the abscess, you may need root canal treatment, or the tooth may be removed. You'll be given a local anaesthetic, so you do not feel any pain.

You may be offered painkillers to take for a few days after treatment and may also be given antibiotics.

Dental abscesses usually happen when pus builds up beneath your teeth or gums when you have an infection in your mouth.

You may get a dental abscess if:

• you have a tooth that has not grown out of your gums properly (an impacted tooth)
• you have tooth decay or gum disease
• you have injured your teeth, gums or mouth
• you're having radiotherapy or chemotherapy

There are some things you can do to help prevent dental abscesses.