Extra urgent dental appointments available

Extra appointments are now available for people in Cheshire and Merseyside who need urgent dental care – including for those who don’t have a usual dentist.

The dental appointments are part of the 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments being rolled out across the country, announced by the government in February 2025. 

As part of this, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside was allocated funding for an additional 46,600 urgent appointments per year. 

These additional appointments are now being made available across 124 different dental practices, which equates to around a third of all practices providing NHS dentistry within the region. 

The appointments are for urgent dental conditions, including any of the following symptoms:

  • Severe toothache: persistent, intense pain that can’t be managed with over-the-counter painkillers
  • Dental abscess (painful lump in the mouth): causing infection, pain or swelling
  • Broken or knocked-out tooth causing pain
  • Significant swelling in the mouth or face that could indicate infection
  • Fractured, loose or displaced fillings
  • Severe bleeding from the gums or mouth

People do not need to be registered to a dental practice in order to access this care. 

Anyone who requires urgent dental help can access an appointment by visiting NHS111 or calling the Cheshire and Merseyside dental helpline on 0161 476 9651.

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