NHS urgent dental care | News and events

The local NHS is reminding people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough of the additional urgent NHS dental care appointments that are still available, from the 14,196 appointments offered since April 2025. These appointments help provide quicker access to treatment for people with dental problems that need urgent attention such as severe dental pain, excessive bleeding of the gums and loose or broken crowns and bridges.

NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board funds the additional urgent appointments through local dental practices that hold an NHS contract, across practices in Cambridge, Peterborough, Huntingdonshire, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire.

As patients are not linked or registered to one specific practice, those who need urgent NHS dental care can contact any practice offering NHS services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to see if appointments are available.

The scheme supports the nation-wide Urgent Dental Programme that aims to make it easier for people get help when an urgent dental problem appears.

If you need urgent dental care, the best way to get help is through NHS 111 online or by calling 111. Your symptoms will be checked, and you will be told which NHS dental practices run the service. If you regularly attend a dental practice, it is recommended that you contact them first if you think you may need urgent treatment. If they can’t offer an urgent appointment, then NHS 111 will let you know what to do next, based on your symptoms.

You can ask for an urgent dental appointment or get advice from NHS 111 if you have:

• a knocked-out tooth or other new injury to your teeth
• severe tooth or mouth pain that’s affecting sleep or daily activities that isn’t helped by over-the-counter pain relief, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
• tooth or mouth pain that’s helped by taking over-the-counter pain relief, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, but isn’t going away
• swelling, a lump or patch insider your mouth that’s getting bigger or not going away, which may or may not be painful
• recently had a tooth removed and you’re bleeding or have severe pain
• a broken or loose filling, denture, crown, bridge or veneer

Pam Green, Director of Neighbourhood Health & Partnerships for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB, said: “We know it can be worrying when a dental problem appears out of the blue, especially if you’re in pain or unsure what to do next. By working closely with local dentists, we want to make it easier for people to get the help they need. These additional urgent appointments mean people can feel more confident that support is available when it’s needed.”

Urgent NHS dental care appointments are for anybody of any age who needs urgent dental care. Charges start from £27.40, unless you qualify for free NHS care or help with costs. NHS dental care is free for all children under 18, or those under 19 in eligible full-time education.

You can find more information on urgency NHS dental appointments on the NHS website.