Did you know there are three ways to secure urgent dental treatment?

The first place to try is an NHS dentist, who provide urgent appointments during their normal working hours.

You should contact your regular dentist if you have one or you can look for an NHS dentist at nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist.

Book an appointment at an urgent dental access centre

Urgent dental access centres provide appointments to diagnose and treat urgent problems or deal with conditions that you might be worried about. They do not provide routine dental care, like check-ups.

You can use an urgent dental access centre if:
• You are not currently getting ongoing treatment from an NHS dentist
• You cannot get an urgent appointment at an NHS dentist

Children and adults can use urgent dental access centres.

The 23 centres across the North East and North Cumbria include:

Jarrow Urgent Dental Access Centre, Grange Road West Dental Practice, 6 Grange Road West, Jarrow, NE32 3JA
South Shields Urgent Dental Access Centre, 1a Dentist, 74 Fowler Street, South Shields, NE33 1PD

You can book your own appointment here: www.northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/nhs-dentistry

Normal NHS charges and exemptions apply. Urgent dental access centres provide a limited number of urgent appointments Monday to Friday so only book if you need urgent care and will attend your appointment. If you do not attend your appointment, it means someone else with an urgent dental problem cannot get help.

Contact NHS 111

You should contact 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you cannot find an urgent dental appointment with an NHS dentist or urgent dental access centre.

The NHS 111 health advisor will talk to you about your needs.

If you do not need help right away, we may give you advice on how to treat the problem yourself until you can get an appointment.

If you do need urgent help, we may be able to find you an appointment during normal working hours at an urgent dental access centre or at an out-of-hours treatment service.

Most general hospitals do not have an on-call service for dental pain so you should visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 for emergency dental care.

You should only go to A&E or call 999 if you have:

Serious injuries to your face, mouth, jaw or teeth
Heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop
Severe swelling of your mouth, lips, throat or neck, and you are having difficulty breathing or opening one or both eyes
Any injury to your head or face that has caused you to lose consciousness, vomit, or have double vision

When should you ask for an urgent dental appointment?

You should make an urgent dental appointment if you have:

Toothache that is so bad it causes pain that does not stop or ease with over-the-counter pain relief
Swelling in the mouth or face, like abscesses or infections, that causes pain or fever
Broken or knocked-out teeth
Bleeding in the mouth after a dental procedure or injury that does not stop by itself – if bleeding cannot be controlled, you might need emergency care
Loose or broken fillings that cause pain
Heavy bleeding from gums
Problems with the soft areas of the mouth, like cheeks or tongue

Urgent appointments are also available if you are worried about:

Pain that does not go away but eases with over-the-counter pain relief
Minor trauma like a chipped tooth
Loose, broken or displaced crowns, bridges, veneers, posts, and fillings that do not cause pain
Loose or broken dentures
Bleeding gums

Visit: northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/nhs-dentistry