Extra urgent dental appointments available
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 and intense pain that cannot be managed with over-the-counter painkillers
- Dental abscess (painful lump in the mouth): infection causing swelling, pain, and possibly fever
- Broken, fractured or knocked-out tooth
- Severe bleeding from the gums or other parts of the mouth (eg. cheek or tongue) which require urgent treatment
- An ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks
- A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neckline that persists for more than three weeks.
More information on urgent dental conditions covered under this scheme, go to: NHS.uk/urgentdentalcare
Other treatments may also be available at the discretion of the dentist, but may require further appointments and additional payment.
People do not need to be registered to a dental practice in order to access this care.
Tom Knight, Associate Director of Primary Care (Dental and Community Pharmacy) for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said:
“We know how important it is to local people that they can get urgent dental care quickly when are they are in pain or need help urgently, so we’re pleased to be offering these extra NHS funded urgent dental appointments, and would encourage anyone who needs urgent dental care to take up this offer.”
Although these extra appointments are for urgent dental treatments only, there is also further work underway nationally to help improve dental workforce recruitment, retention and training, and ensure better access to general dental services too.
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.
