Oh well thanks everybody but it looks like I will just have to ride it out until the morning when I can buy some of the things you have suggested.
Brandy bottle here I come.
What works for one may not for another, but at least try a plain, black tea bag, dampened slightly with warm water placed next to the gum of the pained tooth... not on the tooth itself...
Thanks j9 but the first line on that website reads.
"If you have a regular NHS dentist and need urgent treatment, contact your dentist for advice."
Now how can I contact my nhs dentist for advise when he is at home eating turkey and drinking fine wine at this time of the year?
you can still phone them when your dentist is shut (ooh) all they will be likely to give you is pain relief advice have you tried taking paracetamol the 4 hours later ibuprofen then 4 hours later paracetamol? Do not exceed the stated dose of either, a hot pack against the area or an icepack (a bag of frozen peas in a tea towel) Also gargling with hot salty water can help.
Since the introduction of the latest NHS dental contract, it is the responsibility of the NHS PCT to provide out of hours treatment, rather then the dentists themselves (although some of this care will be commissioned to those same dentists).
If you phone NHS direct, they should inform you of the local emergency dental provision over the holiday period.
You need something with ibuprofen rather than asprin or paracetemol - you need something to reduce the swelling inside the gum/tooth that is causing the pain. Good luck with that. hope you get it sorted soon.