Dental Advice Line
Urgent Dental Care
If you, your child or a person you provide care or support for need urgent dental care and do not have access to a dentist please call the Dental Advice Line for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
The Dental Advice Line offers a single point of access for urgent dental care for patients who live and work in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. If you live outside of these areas, please contact NHS 111 for guidance.
Looking for an NHS Dentist?
If you are looking for an NHS dentist in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin for routine dental care we can give you details of practices currently accepting patients for NHS care. We would ask that calls are made after 3pm when call waiting times are generally shorter
When calling please have these details to hand
- The patient's postcode
- The patient's date of birth
- The patient's contact number
Frequently asked questions
- What if I have my own dentist can I still call you ?
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Please contact your dentist first and discuss your urgent dental needs, if you are undergoing a course of routine dental treatment or have recently seen your dentist urgent care should be provided by them
- What if I can not make my appointment?
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Please only accept an appointment if you can attend on the day as demand for urgent dental care is high. Appointments are only given on the day of your call
- What if I am struggling to breathe due to a dental problem?
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If you are struggling to breathe or swallow please call 999 or go to the nearest A+E department
- What should I do if I have knocked out my tooth (avulsed)?
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If an adult tooth is knocked out of the mouth, try putting it back in place and contact your dentist immediately.
If you are struggling to put the adult tooth back into it's original position, place it in milk and contact your dental practice or the Dental Advice Line.
Don’t try to re-insert a baby tooth instead speak to your dentist straight away.
- What should I do if I have a dental swelling?
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If you think you have a dental swelling do not go to a GP surgery as they will not be able to give you dental treatment. Call your dentist, or contact the Dental Advice Line. If it is out of hours please call 111.
To help with the pain:- you can take painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (children under 16 should not take aspirin)
- try to eat soft foods like soup, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and yoghurt
- use a soft toothbrush to clean your teeth
- avoid very hot or cold, foods and drinks
- try to use extra pillows when sleeping
- use a cold compress on your face (you can use a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel)
- you can take painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (children under 16 should not take aspirin)
- What should I do if I have swollen gums?
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- Make an appointment to see your dentist
- Brush your teeth and use interdental cleaning aids
- Rinse your mouth regularly with saltwater or use an antibacterial mouthwash such as Corsodyl if you can
- Try anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen can help reduce the swelling and provide pain relief
Ask for an urgent dentist appointment if:
- you have very sore gums
- your teeth become loose and painful
Contact the Dental Advice Line:
Tel: 01743 322199
Open from 8am-5pm and 6pm-9pm, Mon-Fri excluding bank holidays
Please make sure you dial the correct number and please note there is no answer phone facility for this service.
Out of hours
If you have a dental problem out of our opening hours please contact 111