This urgent dental access centre treats patients who need urgent treatment.

Service Hours and Capacity

• Monday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (subject to change)
• Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Approximately 140 appointments available weekly
• Two fully equipped surgeries, including an OPG facility

What problems can the centre help me with?

You can use the centre if you have one or more of these urgent problems: 

• Severe toothache that causes persistent and intense pain that cannot be managed with over-the-counter painkillers.  
• Dental abscess infections that cause swelling, pain and possibly fever.  
• Broken or knocked-out teeth. 
• Bleeding in the mouth following a dental procedure or an injury that does not stop by itself but can be controlled. If bleeding cannot be controlled in any way, emergency care may be necessary.  
• Swelling in the mouth or face that could be a sign of infection.  
• Fractured, loose or displaced fillings causing pain.  
• Severe bleeding from gums or acute conditions affecting other soft areas of the mouth (such as cheeks or tongue). 

⚠️You cannot get routine dental care, like a check-up, at this centre.  

Who can use the centre?

You can use the centre if you have one or more of the urgent problems above and:

• you are not currently getting ongoing treatment from an NHS dentist
• you cannot get an urgent appointment at a local high street NHS dentist

Patient Registration and Appointment System

• The service does not register new patients; it manages urgent care only
• Operates a triage system where external agencies assess dental needs and book suitable appointments

How can I get an appointment? 

Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm: Call Dental Direct on 01228 603900 

Please only book an appointment if you have one of the urgent problems listed above and cannot get an urgent appointment with a local high street NHS dentist. If you do not attend your appointment, it means someone else with an urgent dental problem cannot get help.  

Please treat staff at the centre with respect. The NHS has a zero-tolerance approach to those who are aggressive or abusive towards our staff.  

Out-of-hours Urgent Help 

If you need urgent help out of hours, visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111.  

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

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

If you do need urgent help out of hours, the advisor may be able to find an appointment for you at an out-of-hours treatment service.  

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