Dental access centres

Due to national guidelines for dentistry the service is operating in a different way:

• At present we are providing dental pain relief if required for urgent treatment.
  
  
• You can contact our clinics (see details on right of this page) for urgent advice.
• We also provide weekday evening advice clinics, Monday to Thursday, 5.30pm to 8pm. 
• If you require urgent dental advice outside the hours listed please telephone 111.

Please note at peak times patients will be triaged in line with their clinical need and the most urgent cases will be given priority; patients are therefore advised to telephone at the start of the session.  Those who do not have priority will be given advice during standard opening times.

• Our Reception Team will carry out Covid-19 screening questions over the telephone.
  
  

Charges

If you have your dental care at one of our Dental Access Centres, it will be exactly the same as that offered with any local NHS dentist and you will be asked to pay exactly the same NHS charges. 

The dentists and our reception staff will be pleased to discuss the costs of your care and help you if you are exempt from payment. We do expect payment at your first visit. Cash will be accepted but card payments are preferred. 

If you cannot make your appointment

If you are unable to keep an appointment which is offered to you, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can use the appointment for another patient.  Failure to keep booked appointments may mean that we are unable to complete your full course of treatment.    

Text reminders are sent to you once you have agreed to this service, to proactively reduce levels of non-attendance.  We also offer email communication however again, positive consent is required.

Dental emergencies - what you need to know

There are dental emergencies which need immediate attention to minimise the risk of serious medical complications that could be life threatening. 

For example: 

• Uncontrollable and heavy loss of blood after having a tooth out.
• Rapidly increasing swelling around the throat or eye, especially if associated with difficulty in swallowing or breathing.

In an emergency, you should call 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department.  Remember, A&E at Hereford County Hospital has no facilities FOR GENERAL DENTAL CARE.

Out of Hours

Telephone: 111

If you have severe dental and facial pain not controlled by pain killers; infection of the teeth and gums; injury to the teeth, for example, as a result of a knock or a fall; bleeding after tooth extraction that you cannot control; or serious swelling of the mouth or face which is getting worse.

Please note: For advice and treatment of minor conditions such as a lost filling, crown or bridge; broken or sensitive teeth visit your local pharmacy or attend your dentist’s surgery when next open.