Urgent dental appointments made available in Birmingham
It's part of government plans.
Thousands of much-needed dental appointments have been made available for people in Birmingham and Solihull who are desperate for care.
As part of the government’s rollout of 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments across the country, more than 9,000 appointments have been made available in Birmingham and Solihull.
Bosses said the urgent appointments are for people who are experiencing serious dental problems.
These include:
Severe toothache: persistent and intense pain that cannot be managed with over-the-counter painkillers.
Dental abscess: infection causing swelling, pain, and possibly fever.
Broken or knocked-out tooth: trauma resulting in a fractured or completely dislodged tooth.
Uncontrolled bleeding: bleeding in mouth that doesn’t stop maybe following a dental procedure or an injury.
Swelling: significant swelling in the mouth or face that could indicate an infection.
Fractured, loose or displaced fillings causing pain.
Bleeding gums requiring urgent treatment for acute conditions.
Other treatments may be available at the discretion of the dentist. These treatments may require extra visits and costs.
People who need an urgent dental appointment should visit NHS 111 online or call 111 but have been advised not to contact their GP practices .
Do not contact your GP practice, as they will not be able to offer emergency or out-of-hours dental care.
An NHS spokesperson for the Midlands said: “We know how important it is for local people to be able to access urgent dental care when they need it.
“That’s why we’re pleased to make thousands of extra appointments available across Birmingham and Solihull.
“These slots are specifically for urgent dental problems, and you don’t need to be registered with an NHS dentist.
“At the same time, we’re continuing to work on improving access to routine NHS dental care and supporting the dental workforce, so that people across the region can get the right care when they need it.”
People can get more information about emergency and out of hours dental care on the nhs.uk website.