Dentists in Somerset
The NHS will provide any clinically necessary treatment needed to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain. See below for information on accessing urgent dental care
Decisions about which treatment is appropriate will be based on a clinical assessment and clinical judgement.
Your dentist must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each.
If you decide to choose alternative private options, this should be included in your treatment plan. You’ll be asked to sign the plan and be given a copy to keep.
My Local Health Services
If you need urgent dental treatment
Call a dentist: some surgeries offer appointments at short notice
If you do not have a dentist, and you need urgent dental care for any of the following conditions, you can book an urgent appointment via NHS111 or phoning 111:
- 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.
- Bleeding in mouth following a dental procedure or an injury that doesn’t stop by itself but can be self-controlled using local measures. Note that if bleeding cannot be self-controlled in any way, emergency care may be necessary.
- Swelling: significant swelling in the mouth or face that could indicate an infection.
- Fractured, loose or displaced fillings causing pain.
- Severe bleeding from gums, or acute conditions affecting other soft areas of the mouth (such as cheeks or tongue) which require urgent treatment.
- Other treatments may be available at the discretion of the dentist. These treatments may require extra visits and costs.
More information on urgent dental conditions is at: NHS.uk/urgentdentalcare
You can also phone one of the dental practices offering additional urgent appointments. You do not need to be registered with the dental practice but you must contact them in advance:
If you need to see a dentist out of hours
- call a dentist: their voicemail may advise where to get out-of-hours treatment
- call NHS 111 to find an out-of-hours dental service near you
Do not contact a GP, as they will not be able to offer emergency or out-of-hours dental care.
If you’re in pain while waiting to see a dentist, take painkillers. NHS 111 can also offer other self-care advice.
When to go to hospital
Only go to A&E in serious circumstances, such as:
- severe pain
- heavy bleeding
- injuries to the face, mouth, or teeth
If you’re not sure whether you should go to A&E, contact NHS 111, who will be able to advise you. Find out when to dial 999.
Dentistry Commissioning
From Saturday 1 April 2023, NHS Somerset took on responsibility for the commissioning and management of pharmaceutical, ophthalmic and dental (POD) services in the county.
These services have previously been commissioned and managed by NHS England, but this change will mean that NHS Somerset will be responsible for a broader range of functions and enabling, to have a greater flexibility to integrate services across care pathways, ensuring continuity for patients and improved health outcomes for the local population.
This change is a significant milestone towards the move to a system-based approach to improvement and stronger partnership working as set out in the NHS England operating framework.
Patients should not be impacted by this transition, and services should see no change due to this delegation.
For more information on this page, please: visit the commissioning page on NHS England’s website.
