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

Your dentist can carry out treatment such as fillings or root canal treatment, and some dentists provide a mixture of NHS and private care. If you are unsure what services your dentist provides, just ask the practice.

Patients are not registered with NHS dental practices and can attend any practice of their choice.

How do I find an NHS dentist?

To find your nearest NHS dental practices visit: Find an NHS dentist or call the NHS customer contact centre on 0300 311 2233 who may be able to help.

You can also visit dentalchoices.org , an independent website with information on dental practices accepting NHS patients.

How much will treatment cost?

The cost will depend what treatment you need. You can find more information here: NHS dental treatment costs. Some people can get free NHS dental treatment. Find out more here: Who gets free NHS dental treatment

Flexible Commissioning Service

Flexible Commissioning scheme is where dental practices set aside a proportion of their working time to see people who have not been to a dentist in 2 years, or who fit the criteria below:

This service is for:

• 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
• People who need dental check ups in support of hospital treatment
• Pregnant and nursing mothers

You can view the participating dental practices here: Dentists | BOB ICB

Urgent dental appointments

There are additional urgent appointments provided by 32 dental practices across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West between January and March 2025.

Participating dental practices will treat people who have an identified urgent treatment need (normally pain, swelling or bleeding).

Contact NHS 111 who will advise you on which dental practices can help if urgent treatment is needed. 

I need emergency dental treatment 

Firstly 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.

Why is it difficult to get a dentist now?

During the pandemic people went less regularly to their dentist, due to restrictions. This left a backlog which dental practices continue to work through. However, many appointments are taking longer due to less regular attendance in recent years.

Find out more about what your local NHS are doing to increase appointment levels for people who have not seen a dentist in years, or are new to the area: Our Flexible Commissioning Scheme