Dentists provide treatment to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain.

A dentist can provide advice and treatment to look after your teeth and gums and regular check-ups help to see if you have any dental problems. 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. Patients are not registered with NHS dental practices and can attend any practice of their choice.

Find a dentist

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.uk website.

NHS dental costs explained

Your dentist can:

  • provide regular check ups on your teeth and gums (adults should have a check up at least every two years, under 18s should have a check up at least once a year)
  • teach you how to look after your teeth and gums to prevent problems
  • restore teeth damaged or lost due to decay, in an accident or other reasons.

Flexible Commissioning  - for those relocating or not visiting a dentist recently

Although access to NHS dental services in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) has been improving after the delays caused by the pandemic, some people have found getting treatment more difficult.

Access has been particularly challenging for people who have not attended local dental practices in the last few years. In June 2023, we piloted the Flexible Commissioning scheme where dental practices could set aside a proportion of their working time to see these patients. The service is being extended for another year in 2024-25, to give access to:

  • People who have not attended a dental practice for two years
  • People who have relocated to the area
  • Looked After Children
  • Families of Armed Forces personnel
  • Asylum Seekers
  • 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

The service aims to see patients on a planned basis, bringing them into NHS care on an on-going basis, but practices may also be able to see patients with an urgent treatment need.

This link provides information about Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West dental practices taking part in the Flexible Commissioning scheme from 1 April 2024

Before the pandemic about half of people living in the BOB area attended an NHS dentist regularly, as measured over a two year period. Others go to private practices or only attend irregularly, normally when they experience dental pain. Access fell sharply during the pandemic but has been recovering, with attendance now at nearly more than four in 10 people.

Increased treatment need for patients, due to the longer intervals between appointments, has meant many treatments are taking longer to complete. This has also meant that many practices have not been able to open their books to new patients as they catch up with backlogs of patients who previously attended. Some practices have also decided to leave the NHS, which has reduced capacity.

Flexible Commissioning is one of a number of actions being taken to increase dental capacity and support patient access.

 

Feedback and complaints

If you have a question, feedback or complaint about dentist services you should contact your ICB. Find out more about how to feedback or make a complaint about an NHS service here.

Dentistry FAQs

 

NHS Dentistry has funding to see about half of the population regularly. During the COVID pandemic, NHS and private dental practices had to close for about three months.

When they re-opened, they had to follow strict safety procedures to help prevent COVID infections, which meant they could not see as many patients as usual.  This led to a significant backlog of patients waiting to be seen. Some people also need longer and more complex treatment now because of the delays caused by COVID.

Dental practices are working through their backlogs and access to NHS dentistry has significantly improved since the start of the year. However, it is still some way below pre-pandemic levels and changes are being introduced nationally and locally to support people most in need. 

You can attend a dental practice anywhere. To find dental practices near you,  put in your postcode on the NHS website (https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist) This will advise if dentists are accepting NHS patients in your area.

You can also go to dentalchoices.org which is an independent website with information about dental services and regular updates on dental practices which are accepting NHS patients.

You may have to call several dental practices in your area to see if they are accepting NHS patients. It is not possible to request treatment by e-mail. 

When you get an appointment with an NHS dentist you can find more information about what happens next here https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/what-happens-when-you-visit-the-dentist/

If you do not have online access, please try to call the NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233 which may be able to help you.

Unlike GP surgeries, dental practices do not have registered patients, which means that you can attend a dental practice anywhere, but it also means they don’t have to treat you. If you have not had regular check-ups or have missed appointments/treatment and have not attended for a number of years, you may find it more difficult to get an NHS appointment. NHS dental practices have limited spaces, and many have waiting lists.

You can ask how long the practice thinks you may have to wait. Many practices are working through the backlog of patients which built up due to the COVID pandemic.   

You could find a private dentist locally to help you, but you will have to pay the full cost of your dental treatment (either upfront or with a payment plan).

If after contacting several dental practices in your local area you still can’t find a dentist accepting NHS patients, you should call NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233.

The contact centre will help you find the nearest dentist accepting NHS patients, but you may be asked to travel some distance to get an appointment.

If you need urgent treatment such as for pain, swelling, bleeding, contact https://111.nhs.uk/  which can advise you of local dental practices where you may be able to get urgent care.

There are also practices which offer urgent treatment for patients unable to get care at a local practice, but you may have to travel further. There is more information on the NHS website here https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-can-i-access-an-nhs-dentist-in-an-emergency-or-out-of-hours/

In a life threatening emergency you should call 999.

If you can’t find a local NHS dentist to finish your treatment, you can contact one of the practices offering Additional Access sessions:

  • Haddenham Dental, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, 01844 292118
  • Gentle Dental Care, Reading, Berkshire, 0118 945 2900 / 0118 945 5555
  • Smile Dental Care, Twyford, Berkshire, 0118 832 1803
  • Peachcroft Dental Practice, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, 01235 – 532672
  • Moonlight Dental Surgery, Slough, Berkshire, 01753 526301
  • SC Dental Studio, Slough, Berkshire, 01753 550888
  • Smile Dental Care, Slough, Berkshire, 01753 – 523410
  • Smile Dental Care, Cippenham, Berkshire, 01753 - 577017

 

Please note: the dentists on this list provide a limited service for patients who have specific needs.

 

If you can’t find a local NHS dentist to treat your child, you can contact one of the practices offering Additional Access sessions:

  • Haddenham Dental, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, 01844 292118
  • Gentle Dental Care, Reading, Berkshire, 0118 945 2900 / 0118 945 5555
  • Smile Dental Care, Twyford, Berkshire, 0118 832 1803
  • Peachcroft Dental Practice, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, 01235 – 532672
  • Moonlight Dental Surgery, Slough, Berkshire, 01753 526301
  • SC Dental Studio, Slough, Berkshire, 01753 550888
  • Smile Dental Care, Slough, Berkshire, 01753 – 523410
  • Smile Dental Care, Cippenham, Berkshire, 01753 – 577017

Please note: the dentists on this list provide a limited service for patients who have specific needs.

This depends on the treatment provided. You can find information about NHS dental services charges here https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/dental-costs/how-much-will-i-pay-for-nhs-dental-treatment/

You may also be able to get free NHS dental treatment in some circumstances https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

Community dental services are available in a variety of places including hospitals, specialist health centres and mobile clinics, as well as home visits or visits.

Some hospitals or health centres also help people who need specialist care and may be able to offer treatment under sedation or general anaesthetic.

You can find out more about community dental services and the people they support here https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/dental-treatment-for-people-with-special-needs/  

To find out more about the community dental care available in your area, contact NHS England on 0300 311 2233.

You will need to request an interpreter at the time of booking an appointment. The dental practice will contact a translation service and book an interpreter for the appointment.

 

This page will be updated every six months.