There is no need to register with a dentist in the same way as with a GP because you are not bound to a catchment area.
Simply find a dental practice that’s convenient for you, whether it’s near your home or work, and phone them to see if any appointments are available.
If you do not have a regular dental practice or are new to the area, you can search for an NHS dentist by using the NHS.uk online dentist search.
Please be aware that not all dental practices will have the capacity to take on new NHS patients all the time and you may have to join a waiting list or contact multiple practices before you find a NHS dentist with capacity to accept new patients.
Problems finding an NHS dentist
If you’ve been unable to find a dentist and you want to raise your concerns about this, you can contact our patient experience team.
As an Integrated Care Board (ICB) we commission dental services in England and are required to meet the needs of our local population for both urgent and routine dental care.
If you’re still not satisfied with our response, you can take your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Dental emergency and out-of-hours care
If you think you need urgent care, contact your usual dentist, if you have one, as some surgeries offer emergency dental appointments and will provide care if clinically necessary.
You can also contact NHS 111, who can put you in touch with an urgent dental service.
Do not contact a GP, as they cannot offer urgent or emergency dental care.
When to contact NHS 111
You can get help from NHS 111 or NHS 111 online if you have:
- severe pain
- heavy bleeding
- swelling of your mouth, throat, neck or eye
Call 111 or use NHS 111 online.
When to go to A&E
Only visit A&E in serious circumstances, such as:
- injuries to the face, mouth or teeth
- severe or increasing swelling in your mouth, throat or neck, making it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak
If you’re not sure whether you should go to A&E, contact NHS 111 online.
How much will I be charged?
The emergency dentist will only deal with your current dental problem and provide clinically necessary treatment to stop any pain.
An urgent dental treatment will be charged at Band 1 (£26.80), unless you’re entitled to free NHS dental treatment.
If you’re asked to come back for further treatment, this will be considered a separate course of non-urgent treatment.
If you’re not entitled to free NHS dental treatment, you’ll have to pay the relevant charge for the new course of treatment.
Ask the dentist what the treatment will cost or ask for a treatment plan.