Dentists provide treatment to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain.
A dentist will provide regular checks with recall intervals based on your clinical need and advice and treatment to look after your teeth and gums Your dentist can carry out treatment such as fillings or root canal treatment, if you need it. Regular attendance is important to maintain oral health with treatment provided as required. Some dentists provide a mixture of NHS and private care. If you are unsure what services your dentist provides, please ask the practice. All dentists have up-to-date information on the NHS services they have agreed to provide.
The following link provides more information about NHS dental services. This includes information about NHS charges and exemption from charges
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/
Patients are not registered with NHS dental practices and can attend any practice of their choice. Use the NHS Find a dentist tool to help find the nearest dentist to you.
If you need dental treatment in an emergency
- call your dentist – some practices offer appointments at short notice.
- if you don’t have a dentist, call NHS 111 for advice.
Find out more about emergency and out of hours dental care on the NHS website.
Urgent dental appointments
In April 2026, changes were made to the NHS dental contract which means that dentists are now required to provide a minimum number of urgent appointments each year. These appointments are for urgent dental care and non-urgent unscheduled dental access.
- Urgent unscheduled care: patients who may need clinical care within 24 hours or as soon as practically possible, unless the condition worsens; or
- Non-urgent unscheduled care: patients requiring dental care within 7 days, unless the conditions worsens.
Details of the practices providing these appointments sessions have been forwarded to NHS 111. Patients should contact 111 in the first instance if they need dental care.
NHS 111 will signpost to urgent or unscheduled care at these practices. The ICB has also shared the nationally developed clinical guidelines underpinning the service.
List of practices offering urgent dental appointments.
Access to continuing dental care
One of the best ways to maintain good oral health is via regular attendance at a dental practice on a ‘continuing care’ basis. Although not registered many people attend a dental practice on a regular basis. Some have found it more difficult to achieve access or may have clinical needs that require more frequent attendance. The ICB’s Dental Access Service for vulnerable patients has been established to help certain patients access a dental practice on a continuing care basis, with a particular focus on the following groups:
- Looked-After Children
- Families of Armed Forces personnel
- Asylum Seekers and refugees
- Those with clinical/medical need that requires attendance at a dental practice
- Patients who need dental check-ups in support of hospital treatment
- Pregnant and nursing mothers
Residents of care homes with identified treatment need who are able to attend the dental practice for treatment
- Patients with a learning disability
- Homeless patients
- Other patients who may be locally identified as more vulnerable and would find it hard to access services ordinarily
Details of the Thames Valley dental practices taking part in the Dental Access Service for vulnerable patients from 1 April 2026