How do you get emergency dental treatment?

[Peaceplants]

DP hasn't had a dentist since his NHS closed to NHS patients, mainly because he hasn't managed to find one.

He's had tooth ache on and off for months and has gone on the waiting list for all the dentists that treat NHS patients in the area, but has heard nothing.

He's now in a lot of pain. Not really able to function in daily life, pain killlers having a limited effect.

111 have said it's not their role to find him an appointment, only to signpost him to practices which take NHS patients when they have spaces (which seems contarary to their website). He's tried all of them.

So is that it? We're a third world country and you just live in agony unless you can pay, or is he approaching it all wrong/asking the wrong people?

111 should indeed be able to tell him which dentists are doing emergency treatment
I'd call back and ask which practices are doing this. I've done this in the past and was given a number to call who sorted it for me.

Also worth calling every dentist in your area - he may get in to see a private one but it will cost more.

I live in a dental desert. Here he would have to register as a private patient and go on the practice cancellation list (apart from children I don't know anyone who gets NHS dentistry) 111 can't get you free appointments here because there just aren't any.

Sorry, not helpful I know, he almost certainly needs to ring round and hope that there's a practice taking new private patients.

If he is in absolute agony he could try the dental hospital

He needs to pay and go to a private dentist. Mine will see you the same day (even at weekends) if you’re in pain.

That's my question have we really got to a place that unless you can pay you have to live in agony?

You have to pay nhs dentists anyway, is there a dental hospital near you, can you Google emergency dentists in your area.

I recently had to email my dentist at night and he got me in the next morning.
My dentist is private but he's affordable. E.g a check up is £30. A small filling is £40 with x-rays.

I have a credit card just for dental care (thankfully on £0 at the moment! But it was on £600 in 2024!)

It's not ideal but that's the reality of it!!

I don't think NHS dentists are free?

it depends what it needs how much it costs privately, an extraction will be nowhere near as much as a root canal.

Our 111 gave ds an appointment straight away on a Saturday evening. This was London. Where are you ?

It depends who you are, but no. They are however a fraction of the cost of private dentists. He's been quoted £120 just for the consultation, before any actual treatment. You're not paying that on the NHS.

It’s the same where we are - no NHS dentists we have a private family plan for 2 adults 3 kids and we pay £60 a month for it I think my partner pays it but you get 2 check ups every 6 months each and cleaning then a discount on X-rays and other stuff but we can phone them 24/7 it’s a big group I’ve been evenings and weekends it’s always there. It is annoying we have to pay, especially for the kids but there is literally nothing available in our area I’m on 2 waiting lists - and a lot of the nhs practices are now private as they make more money. My friend is at a practice that does both she is an nhs patient she had an emergency they said sorry no nhs slots for 3 months but you can PAY for private do
you want to come later today??? And she has since been served notice that it’s going fully private.

Do they see emergency patients? I was referred to one for root canal, and it took a year before I got an appointment.

a full consultation with a private dentist will include X Rays and a full oral examination, £120 is very reasonable to pay for for a medical professionals time, if living in pain is the alternative to spending some money on teeth (which are irreplaceable) then crack on

You'd have to pay even if he saw an NHS dentist. Dental treatment has never been free for the majority.

The £120 you've been quoted for a consultation will include x-rays and advice on what needs doing next, which seems reasonable to me. If he's been in pain for months, he's had plenty of time to put £10 or so aside every week.

Private consult £90 where I live, 40mins and xrays

Correct.

i’d suggest phoning around and finding the cheapest private one.

I mean you could wait until he goes septic and get treatment in A&E but this has been the norm for at least 5years now, he won't get a dental plan approved until he has ALL necessary treatment completed anyway.
Can he pay or does he just not want to pay? I appreciate some people do not have the means.

He will pay if he has to, but he's hanging onto the fact that this is what the NHS is there for.

I have to say I'm surprised people are so accepting of it.

But he will still pay in the nhs unless he's exempt, why wait if he's in pain, how many emergency dentists have you called this week.

You do not have to see a NHS dentist in your area , so ask friends, relatives, social media if a NHS dentist is taking on .

A and E can do very little as there is rarely any equipment etc to deal with dental emergencies and you will normally be sent on your way .

If in pain/swelling then 111 should be able to arrange emergency treatment only. They cannot arrange routine treatment.

My DS got an emergency appointment through 111. They took X rays and gave antibiotics for an infected wisdom tooth, but said he needed to get a routine appointment to get a hospital referral for removal.

Call 111 out of hours. 8am on the dot tomorrow morning.

111 ( nhs 24) should offer a triage service in the evenings and weekends. There should be an out of hours emergency service available for all.
call them first thing tomorrow