MORE THAN 105,000 additional urgent NHS dental appointments are available for people across the South East.
It comes as part of 700,000 extra appointments being rolled out across England to boost access for those needing urgent or unscheduled dental care.
These appointments aim to ensure that people experiencing urgent dental problems can access timely care, even if they are not currently registered with a dental practice.
Conditions covered under the released appointments include dental conditions such as severe toothache and dental abscesses, broken or knocked‑out teeth, continued bleeding and swelling, severe gum bleeding or acute soft‑tissue problems affecting cheeks, gums or tongue, and painful fractured, loose or displaced fillings.
Dentists may offer other urgent treatments depending on clinical need. Some treatments may require further visits and may incur additional costs.
People can find the right service by visiting NHS 111 online, or can obtain an urgent dental appointment by calling 111.
Patients do not need to be registered with a dental practice to access an urgent appointment.
Shab Shivji, Regional Chief Dental Officer, NHS England, South East, said: “We know how important it is for people across the South East to be able to access urgent dental care when they need it, so we are very pleased to be offering more than 105,000 additional urgent appointments across our region.
“These appointments are specifically for urgent dental conditions, so we encourage people to visit NHS 111 online or check the NHS website for guidance on symptoms and eligibility before seeking help.
“Alongside national efforts to expand NHS dental services and support workforce recruitment, retention and training, this extra capacity will help ensure people can get the urgent dental care they need, when they need it.”
More information on urgent dental conditions can be found at NHS.uk/urgentdentalcare.
