More than 105,000 additional urgent NHS dental appointments are available for people across the South East, as part of the 700,000 extra appointments being rolled out across England to boost access for those needing urgent or unscheduled dental care.

These appointments ensure that people experiencing urgent dental problems can access timely care, even if they are not currently registered with a dental practice.

Dan, who needed urgent support after cracking his tooth on a flight home from holiday, said: “When I cracked my tooth on the flight home, I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t get an NHS appointment with my usual dentist for months. I called NHS 111 and was really impressed with how quickly everything happened. I had a triage the same day, a call‑back from a dental clinician, and an urgent appointment booked for the very next afternoon. They removed the loose part of the tooth and filled the gap straight away. The whole process was fast, reassuring and made a huge difference.”

Shab Shivji, Regional Chief Dental Officer, NHS England, South East, said: “We know how important it is for people across the South East to be able to access urgent dental care when they need it, so we are very pleased to be offering more than 100,000 additional urgent appointments across our region.

“These appointments are specifically for urgent dental conditions, so we encourage people to visit NHS 111 online or check the NHS website for guidance on symptoms and eligibility before seeking help.

“Alongside national efforts to expand NHS dental services and support workforce recruitment, retention and training, this extra capacity will help ensure people can get the urgent dental care they need, when they need it.”

What Conditions Are Covered?

The additional urgent appointments are for dental conditions such as:

• Severe toothache: persistent, intense pain not relieved by over‑the‑counter painkillers
• Dental abscess: infection causing swelling, pain and sometimes fever
• Broken or knocked‑out teeth: trauma resulting in fractured or dislodged teeth
• Continued bleeding: bleeding after a dental procedure or injury that does not stop with local measures
• Swelling: significant facial or oral swelling that may indicate infection
• Painful fractured, loose or displaced fillings
• Severe gum bleeding or acute soft‑tissue problems affecting cheeks, gums or tongue

Dentists may offer other urgent treatments depending on clinical need. Some treatments may require further visits and may incur additional costs.

More information on urgent dental conditions can be found at NHS.uk/urgentdentalcare.

People can find the right service by visiting NHS 111 online, or can obtain an urgent dental appointment by calling 111.

You do not need to be registered with a dental practice to access an urgent appointment.