If you've been informed by a member of our team that you're unable to schedule a routine NHS dental care appointment due to not attending for a routine check-up within the past two years, we'd like to provide clarification on this matter.
It's important to understand that since 2006, there's no such thing as "registration" with an NHS dentist. Unless you are actively undergoing a course of treatment, dentists aren't obligated to see you for an appointment if they do not have the capacity to do so. Given the current demand and capacity in NHS dentistry, we're unable to accommodate every patient. The NHS England guidelines suggest a timeline of two years to define regular attendance, and we adhere to these boundaries.
We have specific 'examination appointment' slots which enable us to manage our appointment book accordingly and ensure we can get patients booked in for treatment within a timely manner. When these slots are full, there is no additional capacity unless we are able to recruit additional dentists, which is currently challenging due to nationwide NHS dentist shortages.
Our NHS routine examination appointment slots are fully booked for 2024. However, we do get cancellations so please continue to contact us as it may be possible to obtain one of these appointments. We anticipate our appointment book to open for 2025 in November 2024, but this is yet to be fully confirmed until nearer the time to ensure the most accurate staffing arrangements can be reviewed.
We do have a small amount of Private capacity, should you be interested in continuing your care with the Practice on a Private basis.
Alternatively, you can visit https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist to locate a dental service accepting new routine NHS patients.