Can't eat, sleep, or focus because of excruciating tooth pain? Severe toothache doesn't improve on its own. It gets progressively worse as infection spreads deeper into the nerve. Every hour you wait, the pain intensifies and treatment becomes more complex.

At Emergency Dentist London in South Kensington, we provide immediate same-day pain relief. Within minutes of your arrival, we'll diagnose the cause with digital X-rays and stop the pain using advanced numbing techniques. Whether you need root canal treatment, extraction, or emergency medication, you'll leave our clinic pain-free. Guaranteed.

Decoding Your Pain: What Does It Mean?

Not all toothaches are the same. The specific type of pain you feel gives our dentists a clue about the underlying problem before we even take an X-ray.

Sharp, Shooting Pain (Sensitivity)

If you feel a sharp "zing" when eating ice cream or drinking hot coffee that disappears quickly, this is often Reversible Pulpitis. It suggests a cavity, a loose filling, or a cracked tooth. The nerve is irritated but alive and savable.

Dull, Throbbing, Constant Ache

This is the hallmark of Irreversible Pulpitis or a dying nerve. The pain lingers long after the trigger is gone, or starts spontaneously. It often worsens when you lie down to sleep. This tooth needs a root canal or extraction.

Pain on Biting / Pressure

If the tooth feels "high" or bruised when you tap it, the infection has likely spread out of the root tip into the jawbone, causing an Apical Periodontitis or abscess.

Common Causes of Severe Toothache

There are several reasons why a tooth might start hurting severely:

1. Advanced Tooth Decay

Bacteria naturally live in the mouth. When they feed on sugar, they produce acid that eats through the hard enamel shell of your tooth. Once the decay reaches the soft dentine and eventually the pulp (nerve), infection sets in, causing agony.

2. Dental Abscess

If decay is left untreated, the nerve dies and turns into a pocket of pus at the root tip. This abscess builds up pressure inside the jawbone. Since the bone cannot expand, the pressure causes excruciating, throbbing pain and often facial swelling.

3. Cracked Tooth Syndrome

A hairline fracture in a tooth can be invisible to the naked eye. However, every time you bite down, the crack opens slightly, irritating the nerve. Over time, the crack can deepen until it reaches the pulp.

4. Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth that do not have room to grow can push against other teeth or become infected under the gum flap (pericoronitis), causing pain that radiates to the ear and neck.

Our Emergency Treatment Protocol

We do not just prescribe antibiotics and send you home. We believe in definitive treatment to cure the cause of the pain.

Diagnostic Imaging

We use low-dose digital X-rays to see what is happening inside the tooth and under the gum.

Anaesthesia

We use powerful local anaesthetics (like Articaine) to completely numb the tooth. For anxious patients, we use numbing gel first so you don't even feel the injection.

Intervention

For infected nerves: We perform an Emergency Extirpation. This involves making a small opening in the tooth and removing the inflamed nerve tissue. This relieves the pressure instantly. A sedative dressing is placed, and you return later to finish the root canal.
For non-restorable teeth: We perform a gentle Extraction. Once the tooth is out, the pain source is gone.
For deep cavities: We remove the decay and place a healing Filling that releases fluoride, kills bacteria and calms the nerve.

Home Care Until Your Appointment

While you wait to see us:

Take anti-inflammatory painkillers like Ibuprofen (if safe for you). They work better for dental pain than Paracetamol.

Avoid extremes of temperature (hot drinks/ice cream).

Sleep with your head elevated on pillows to reduce blood pressure in the head.

Rinse with warm salty water to keep the area clean.

NEVER place an aspirin tablet directly on the gum. It causes severe chemical burns.

Treatment Fees

Service

Member Price*

Non-Member

Emergency Assessment

£30

New Patient Offer

X-Ray

£10

£20

Composite Filling

from £92.50

from £185

Root Canal (Front)

from £247.50

from £495

Simple Extraction

from £125

from £250

* Prices are indicative. A full treatment plan will be provided after assessment.

Severe Toothache

Decoding Your Pain: What Does It Mean?

Sharp, Shooting Pain (Sensitivity)

Dull, Throbbing, Constant Ache

Pain on Biting / Pressure

Common Causes of Severe Toothache

1. Advanced Tooth Decay

2. Dental Abscess

3. Cracked Tooth Syndrome

4. Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Our Emergency Treatment Protocol

Diagnostic Imaging

Anaesthesia

Intervention

Home Care Until Your Appointment

Common Symptoms

Treatment Options

Treatment Fees

Real Patient Results

Related Articles from Our Blog

10 Signs You Need an Emergency Dentist Immediately

Dental Emergencies in London: Complete 2025 Guide

Emergency Dentist Costs in London Explained

Flexible Ways to See Us

Walk-In Dentist

Weekend Dentist

Out of Hours

Private Emergency

Other Emergency Treatments We Offer

Toothache

Broken Tooth

Abscess

Lost Filling

Wisdom Tooth

Root Canal

Don't Delay Treatment

Emergency Pricing

Meet Our Dentists

Dr. Yasha Y Shirazi

Dr. Kamran Yazdi

Dr. Andreia Phipps

Dr. Reza Davari

Dr. Narges Ameri

Dr. Louise Carnaby

Jack Button

Laila Alhussein

What Our Patients Say

Camryn Owen

Huda B

K D

Natalia Tiuleneva

Sabine Arias

Jennifer Skocz

Shawn-J Dunn

Camryn Owen

Huda B

K D

Natalia Tiuleneva

Sabine Arias

Jennifer Skocz

Shawn-J Dunn

Visit Us in Central London

Contact Details

Central London Address

Phone

Opening Hours

How to get here