FURTHER centres for urgent dental treatment have opened in the South West, to bring more urgent dental care to patients while high street dentists are necessarily closed due to the covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Four new urgent dental centres are now open in Salisbury in Wiltshire, Quedgeley in Gloucestershire, and in Devon, Barnstaple and Okehampton. Patients will be able to receive urgent and emergency dental care, such as treatment for severe pain and infection.

To get help, people should telephone their own dentist to be assessed. All NHS dental surgeries can be contacted, even while their doors are closed.

Those without a dentist or who cannot get through to their usual surgery should call NHS111 who will direct you to your nearest available dentist.

Patients will be assessed by telephone and a dentist will decide whether someone needs to be seen immediately or within 24 hours or can be booked in later for an appointment.

Conditions needing immediate treatment might include: Dental infection/fever/swelling, especially if it might affect the airway, Uncontrolled bleeding or Injury.

In some cases, treatment may be needed in hospital.

The additional urgent dental centres should help reduce journey times for patients during the covid-19 pandemic.

These Urgent Dental Centres are in addition to the existing centres at the following locations; Bath, Bodmin, Bridgwater, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Chippenham, Dorchester, Exeter, Gloucester, Isles of Scilly, Newton Abbot,  Plymouth, Swindon, Torbay, Truro, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare which opened earlier this month.

The Urgent Dental Centres have been set up by NHS England and NHS Improvement – which commissions NHS dental care. The centres are fully staffed and equipped to provide treatment safely during the covid-19 pandemic (coronavirus).