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?

im a dentist. It is not news that NHS dentistry has been disappearing - it has been making headlines for years. You knew this when your practice went private and you chose to stop attending for routine care.

the vast majority of dental problems are preventative with routine care. People choose to not follow this care and advice, which is why NHS charges were introduced. Too expensive for the taxpayer to pick up the whole bill. As a nation it seems we love sugar and hate flossing...

people's cars break down all the time and they are presented with bigger bills, that they accept. If he were in that much pain he would not die on the hill of 'but it should be on the NHS'. Just get seen for the emergency, and then get back into preventative care.

A word of actual advice. 111 should signpost you to an emergency appointment so try that again, BUT in dental NHS triage pain is not considered a true emergency. Infection always takes precedence - swelling, pus etc as that can become a genuine threat to life. So stressing that his tooth hurts won't change the outcome if the 'computer says no'.

Personally I think the postcode lottery of NHS dentistry is appalling and it should be completely reformed. I've had plenty of NHS patients show up and argue the toss over charges, with their £50k car keys on the side. Perhaps we should only provide emergency care for the general public, and general care for children, the elderly and the disabled. If everyone accepted the need for dental insurance or plans we would have much better teeth and much better access to emergency slots and much better provision for those most in need.

But why shouldn't you pay for dental treatment?

The country is bankrupt. Who do you think should pay for it?

Sadly it’s just how it is now for dentistry.

And if we aren’t careful the rest of the NHS is going the same way 😪

OMG.

Many can’t afford private treatment though. Many have problem teeth and wouldnt be accepted on a monthly plan. Often on NHS a tooth is extracted where in private dentistry it would be crowned, or an implant / bridge put in. No one wants to lose their teeth! I do pay privately and am willing to forgo things to pay for it, but if you’re on a tight budget it may be impossible.

Well you should try your best to care for your teeth properly then they wouldn't go rotten. But yeah it is unfair.

But if you're in agony it's worth the price surely?

But the OP can afford it she said that she could.

She just wants someone else to pay for it.

The issue is that the state doesn’t pay fully for dental treatment, but the restriction of NHS contracts means dental treatment is entirely unaffordable for huge parts of the country.

I can afford all sorts of private healthcare, does that mean I should expect nothing from the NHS?

Phone round and get an emergency appointment either privately or NHS.

It's not about you, it's your DP.
How to find an emergency or urgent NHS dentist appointment - NHS

So your partner would rather spend months in pain than spend money he can easily afford?

I have problem teeth due to bad dentistry as a child and being old so no fluoride in toothpaste when I was a child, however, I have had both a crown and a bridge from NHS dentists so do not feel it is fair to infer that they are giving poor treatment! Did cost me the higher level of payment though which was £300+.

It sounds like an abscess. Try flossing and cleaning the teeth carefully. After about half an hour, rinse the mouth thoroughly, then gargle with Corsodyl (or the equivalent) or tepid salty water.

Take aspirin or other painkiller.

If there is a noticeable swelling, call NHS 111.

You're probably looking a root canal treatment or an extraction. £££.

Yes - been paying privately for years - no choice!

Well, the UK is bankrupt so yes, If you want medical treatment it would probably be best. Otherwise you will be in pain.

We shouldn't be. But then we're fine with 80 year olds sitting waiting for 2 days in AE, aren't we? And yes, there are many people who haven't gone to the dentist/had an NHS one for literally years.

No but it’s a massive difference. I need two root canals. £1400 each inc crown. Would be £64 each on the nhs.

i cant afford both, will have to have one extracted and it will be a struggle for the second.

bad thing is i have an nhs dentist but they wont do it.

Trouble is when you have to pay private even when you are in your 70s worked all your life for the NHS it pisses me off when others just get NHS treatment after years of not looking after their nashers - I don’t know why but there it is!

Don’t wait until the morning. 111 calls are answered overnight

Do you have a dentaline near you?
I will say they generally won’t actually do any physical work to the tooth but they will prescribe antibiotics, if you don’t have a dentaline, e-surgery (online) will send you antibiotics for dental infections in 24-48hrs, metronidazole are the best for dental infections I find but would probably stick to amoxicillin (assuming no allergies). May be complicated if he does have allergies to antibiotics. You do have to pay (around £30), won’t work overnight but it’ll give him some breathing space to try and find someone to help him. I have cleared it with my GP that this is a legitimate site BTW.

The £120 will be more than a regular visit with a private dentist because he is an emergency patient. Some wojkd charge £250 for an emergency visit.

@JulietteHasAGun For a crown on the NHS you would be on band 2 which includes crowns and is close to £350.

I worked in dental practices private and NHS and also a maxillofacial unit though it was quite a while ago.

My daughter had tooth pain and a swollen cheek this week. Our dentist kicked us out when she was having chemotherapy and radiation as she couldn't attend appointments. No exceptions.

We haven't been able to find an NHS dentist in our area to register with or even further afield.

111 gave her the number for a dental practice 30miles away - she couldn't get through. They all close 17.00 on a Friday for the weekend.

In the end we found a dental hub group of foreign dentists who could offer a same day appt privately. Shes had antibiotics and needs a referal to an oral surgeon. My husband lost his job during her treatment but we will find the money as we have no other choice - yet some people who can afford private treatment comfortably benefit from subsidised NHS treatment. It seems very unfair teen cancer patients have no priority access to NHS dentists.

If it is the case we are moving to a US style fully private dental service and if UK dentists currently get subsided NHS funding then shouldn't they lose any NHS subsidies for training and pay US style unless they sign a contract to do only NHS work for a minimum term?

UK dentistry is where it is because the finances no longer work.

Dentists once set up and ran their own practices as small businesses. Today, the cost of doing that is prohibitive. Commercial property is expensive, high equipment costs, complex regulation, staffing costs continue to rise.

Venture capital has stepped into that gap - and changed dentistry as a result. Practices owned by venture capital firms exist to maximise returns for shareholders, not to prioritise clinical care or long‑term community service. That shows as less time allocated for appointments, higher fees, more upselling, and tighter targets for staff. Patients pay dearly!

NHS dentistry is a valuable public service. The issue is the funding model. Dentists are paid a fixed amount for bands of treatment, regardless of complexity or time. Some procedures are performed at a loss, meaning dentists can lose money by providing NHS care. Many have responded by leaving NHS work entirely.

The obvious solution is to pay dentists fairly for NHS work, reflecting the real costs and skill involved.

But that requires public acceptance of higher funding. The public generally does not want higher taxes and often underestimates the cost of the service it expects.

Becoming a dentist takes years of training, and running a practice requires substantial investment. Until this is properly recognised and funded, NHS dentistry will continue to shrink, and corporate ownership and private care will continue to expand.

I’m not a dentist, and friend is. She still sees under 18s as NHS patients and would love to do more NHS work. Hers is one of the shrinking number of practices that are owned by the dentists that work there…, but the funding formula needs to change.