What to Do If No NHS Dentist Is Accepting Patients: Your UK Action Plan (2026)

Last updated: 27 May 2026. Sources: NHS England, NHS.uk, NHSBSA, Healthwatch England, the British Dental Association, and the General Dental Council. Pricing reflects the NHS dental charges in England in force from 1 April 2026.

TL;DR

Twenty-two per cent of UK adults who tried to book an NHS dental appointment in early 2025 could not get one. If every practice near you is "not taking NHS patients", you are not out of options. Phone or use 111 online for urgent need, contact your local Integrated Care Board for help finding capacity, ask Healthwatch, and use your right to complain when practices push you to pay privately for clinically necessary NHS care.

Why this guide exists

You have phoned five dental practices, every one of them is "full for NHS", and the next available appointment quoted to you is eighteen months away. You are not imagining the problem. The NHS dental access shortage is the single most serious primary-care access issue in England right now, and it is not your fault that the system is hard to navigate.

This guide gives you a practical action plan grounded in NHS.uk guidance, NHS England commissioning rules, and Healthwatch advice. It explains how the system is supposed to work, what your rights are, what the official escalation routes look like, and what to try when those routes do not produce an appointment. Every figure and rule below comes from a Tier 1 or Tier 2 UK source, listed at the end.

How big is the access problem in 2026?

The latest official figure comes from NHS England's GP Patient Survey, which polls patients about their experiences with NHS services every year. Among adults in England who had tried to book an NHS dental appointment in the twelve months to early 2025, 78 per cent succeeded and 22 per cent did not. [1] That was a two-point improvement on the year before, but it still represents millions of adults locked out of NHS dentistry.

The picture is worse in some regions than others. As of March 2024, only 32 per cent of adults in the South West had seen an NHS dentist in the previous two years, 12 percentage points lower than in the North East and North West. [2] NHS England's own commissioning analysis estimates that approximately 2.2 million people each year have unmet NHS dental treatment needs they cannot satisfy. [3]

The British Dental Association puts the headline figure higher still. Its analysis of GP Survey data points to almost 14 million adults in England unable to access NHS dental care, around one in four of the adult population, made up of patients who failed to secure appointments, those who stopped trying, those deterred by costs, and those on waiting lists. [4]

"NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist for millions across this country." -- Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee [4]

A Healthwatch England poll of 1,791 adults in September 2024 found that 16 per cent of respondents had not been able to find an NHS dentist who would treat them, and 27 per cent of those unable to find NHS care had sought private treatment over the previous two years. [5]

The point of these numbers is not to depress you. It is to make clear that hitting a wall of "no" is the norm in the UK in 2026, not a sign that you have done something wrong or asked the wrong way. The action plan below assumes you are starting from that wall.

First, an important myth to clear up: you do not "register" with an NHS dentist

This catches almost everyone out. NHS dentistry does not work like GP registration. There is no permanent list of "your" patients that follows you for life.

NHS.uk states it plainly: "At your first visit, you may be asked to fill out a form to register with the dental practice, but this does not mean you'll always be able to get NHS dental care at the same dental practice in the future." [6] Healthwatch polling found that 68 per cent of the public believe, incorrectly, that they have the same permanent right to register with an NHS dentist that they do with a GP. [7]

What this means in practice:

• You can be seen by an NHS dentist at any practice currently accepting NHS patients, regardless of where you have been treated before. You are not locked to a previous practice.
• You can move practices without "transferring" records the way you would with a GP. You can request your records be sent to your new practice.
• A dentist who saw you on the NHS last year is under no obligation to continue treating you as an NHS patient this year if their NHS contract is full.
• "Sorry, we're not taking NHS patients" is a legitimate answer. It is not the practice breaking the rules; it usually means their NHS contract (measured in Units of Dental Activity) is filled.

Once you know NHS dentistry is appointment-by-appointment rather than registration-for-life, the action plan below makes more sense.

Your action plan: six steps to try in order

These steps are not theoretical. They are the routes NHS.uk, NHS England, and Healthwatch publish for patients in your situation. Work through them in the order below; each one takes a different angle on the problem.

Step 1: Ask each practice the precise question

When you phone a practice, the wording matters. "Are you taking new patients?" often gets a "no" because the practice does not have new-patient slots booked open. The questions that get fuller answers are:

• "Are you currently taking on new NHS patients, even with a wait?"
• "Can I join your NHS waiting list?"
• "Do you accept NHS check-ups for adults / children / pregnant patients?"
• "Do you offer urgent NHS appointments only, or routine NHS care as well?"

Many practices accept new NHS patients only when they have child slots open, only for emergencies, or only for patients in receipt of certain benefits. They do not always volunteer that nuance on a "we're full" call. Ask the specific question that matches your situation.

Step 2: Use the official NHS dental finder by postcode

NHS.uk has a "Find a dentist" tool that lists every practice in your area along with whether each is currently taking NHS patients, the age groups they accept, and how to contact them. [8] The data is updated by practices themselves, so it lags reality by weeks rather than months, but it is the single best snapshot of what is genuinely open.

A practical trick: when the closest practices are all "full", widen your search radius. Sometimes the nearest practice with capacity is fifteen miles away rather than two. That trade-off is annoying, but it is often quicker than waiting for a closer practice to open its list. The tool sorts by distance and you can see at a glance which practices have NHS availability flagged.

Step 3: Contact your local Integrated Care Board (ICB)

This is the step most patients have never heard of, and the one NHS.uk explicitly recommends.

Since April 2023, Integrated Care Boards have commissioned NHS dental services in their area. [9] An ICB is the statutory body responsible for buying NHS care for a defined geographic population, and your local ICB has both the data and the duty to help you find care.

NHS.uk states: "You can contact your local integrated care board (ICB). Your local ICB manages dental services in your area and may be able to tell you where you can get a local dental appointment." [10]

To find your ICB, use the NHS lookup tool at nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-your-local-integrated-care-board. Every postcode in England maps to one ICB. The ICB will usually give you a phone number or web form for dental queries; some operate dental access helplines that can place you with practices not visible in NHS.uk's finder.

When you contact your ICB, mention:

• Your postcode and how far you can reasonably travel
• Whether you qualify for free NHS treatment (the ICB may steer you toward practices currently prioritising exempt patients)
• Any urgency, including children, pregnancy, ongoing treatment, or worsening pain
• How long you have been trying to find a practice yourself

ICBs cannot conjure capacity that does not exist, but they can often direct you to dental access helplines, community dental services, or practices that have just reopened their lists.

Step 4: Join several waiting lists, not just one

Patients tend to join one waiting list and wait. The better strategy is to join three or four. NHS.uk's own advice acknowledges that "you may be asked to join a waiting list before you can get a dental appointment", and it does not stop you from joining several. [8]

Keep a simple list of the practices you have approached, the date you went on each waiting list, and any reference number they gave you. Call each one back every three to six months to confirm you are still on the list, because some practices purge their lists periodically.

When a practice does call you off the waiting list, you can accept and then politely withdraw from the other lists.

Step 5: Use NHS 111 for urgent (not just emergency) dental need

If your situation is not life-threatening but it is unbearable, NHS 111 is your route. NHS 111 operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, by phone or at 111.nhs.uk. [11]

Since May 2024, NHS 111 has been able to directly book urgent dental appointments rather than just triaging. [12] If a clinician assesses that you need urgent care, the NHS 111 service will book you an appointment at the nearest available urgent dental care centre. The triage uses NHS England's clinical guidance to decide which tier of care you need. [13]

The three tiers of unscheduled dental care, with response targets:

"If you need urgent dental care but are unable to contact your dentist or do not have one, you can contact NHS 111 by phone or online at www.111.nhs.uk." -- King's College Hospital, Acute Dental Care [14]

A common mistake is waiting until pain is unbearable before calling 111. If you have spreading swelling, severe pain that is stopping you sleeping, or a tooth knocked out, that is urgent and you should call. The cost of NHS urgent dental care, when you get it, is a single Band 1 charge of £27.90, the same as a routine examination. [15]

For dental-related medical emergencies, including heavy uncontrolled bleeding, serious facial or jaw injuries, breathing difficulty, or a swelling spreading toward the eye, call 999 or go to A&E.

Step 6: Speak to your local Healthwatch

Every area of England has a local Healthwatch (153 in total), an independent statutory body that represents patients' interests and collects evidence about NHS access for regulators. [16]

Healthwatch can help you in two ways:

• Information. Your local Healthwatch usually maintains its own picture of which practices in your area have current NHS capacity, often updated more recently than NHS.uk's central tool.
• Escalation. When you cannot find NHS dentistry, Healthwatch records your case as evidence and feeds it into its national reporting and to ICBs and NHS England. Your individual case may not produce an appointment, but it contributes to system-level pressure.

Find your local Healthwatch at healthwatch.co.uk/your-local-healthwatch/list. In February 2026, Healthwatch England publicly called for a legal right for patients to register permanently with an NHS dentist, improved transparency on appointment delivery, and better promotion of NHS dental charge exemptions. [17] Reporting your access struggle to Healthwatch is one of the most effective ways to push that campaign forward.

If you have a dental emergency right now

If you are in severe pain, have spreading swelling, a knocked-out tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, or a dental injury, do not work through the steps above. Skip straight to:

• 999 or A&E for heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop, serious injuries to your face or jaw, swelling spreading toward your eye, or breathing difficulty. [18]
• NHS 111 (phone 111 or 111.nhs.uk) for severe tooth or mouth pain that is affecting your sleep or daily activities, swelling or a lump inside your mouth, bleeding or severe pain after a recent extraction, or a knocked-out adult tooth (where time matters). [11] [18]

A useful side note on cost: an NHS urgent dental appointment is charged at the Band 1 rate, £27.90, regardless of what is done during the appointment (within scope). [15] This is not Band 2 or Band 3 territory unless a follow-up course of treatment is needed.

For more detail on dental emergencies and how to handle the wait before help arrives, see our emergency dentist UK guide and dental emergency guide for patients who can't get an NHS appointment.

Your rights when a practice says no

NHS dental practices can choose which NHS patients they take on, and "we are full" is a legitimate answer when their NHS contract capacity is exhausted. Patients do not have an absolute right to be registered with any specific NHS practice.

What patients do have rights about:

You have the right to complain about any NHS dental service. The NHS Constitution gives you this right, and NHS England states it bluntly: "You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service." [19] If a practice refuses to treat you despite having NHS capacity, or refuses treatment available on the NHS while pushing you toward private treatment, you can complain.

You cannot be pressured to pay privately for clinically necessary NHS treatment. General Dental Council rules require dentists to clearly explain to patients which treatments are available on the NHS and which are private. Where treatment is clinically necessary and available under the NHS, it should be offered as such. [20] If a practice says, in effect, "we'll only see you privately", and the treatment you need is in scope of an NHS band, that is a complaint matter.

Where to escalate:

1. The practice itself. Ask for a copy of the practice's complaints procedure and put your concern in writing. Most practices try to resolve complaints locally.
2. Your ICB. If you would rather not raise it with the practice or the practice has not resolved it, your ICB is the commissioner of NHS dental services and accepts complaints about practices in its area. [21]
3. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. If the ICB's response does not satisfy you, the Ombudsman investigates unresolved NHS complaints. Phone 0345 015 4033.
4. The General Dental Council. The GDC investigates concerns about an individual dental professional's fitness to practise (not about access). [20]
5. Healthwatch. As above, for system-wide evidence even if your individual case is not resolved.

Free NHS dental treatment: who qualifies

This matters more when access is scarce, because exempt patients usually get priority through dental access services and at practices accepting "exempt only" NHS patients.

You qualify for free NHS dental treatment in England if any of these apply: [22] [23]

• You are aged under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education.
• You are pregnant, or have had a baby in the last 12 months, or have had a stillbirth in the past 12 months. A maternity exemption certificate (apply through your midwife, GP, or health visitor) is valid until 12 months after the expected date of birth.
• You are receiving treatment in an NHS hospital from a hospital dentist (you may still pay for items like dentures or bridges).
• You receive War Pension Scheme or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments, and the treatment is for your accepted disability.
• You or your partner receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit with Savings Credit, or Universal Credit (income below the threshold).
• You are a dependant aged under 20 of a person receiving one of the qualifying benefits.

If you do not qualify for free treatment but you are on a low income, you can apply for an HC2 certificate (full help) or HC3 certificate (partial help) under the NHS Low Income Scheme. Apply using an HC1 form, available from NHS dental practices, hospitals, or by calling 0300 330 1343. [24]

For a deeper dive on eligibility, including how to apply for an HC2 certificate and what the scheme covers, see our free NHS dental treatment UK eligibility guide. If you are pregnant or planning to be, dental care during pregnancy explains the maternity exemption in detail.

The 2026 NHS dental charges in England, for everyone else, are: [15]

You pay only one charge per complete course of treatment, even if you visit several times. For a full breakdown, see our NHS dental charges UK guide.

When the NHS route runs out: private and alternative routes

If you have worked through the steps above and still cannot find NHS care, here are the realistic alternatives. These are framed as facts, not recommendations. Whether any of them is right for you depends on your circumstances.

Private treatment, pay-as-you-go

Most NHS practices that have closed their NHS lists still offer private treatment, often immediately. Private check-up prices range widely, broadly £40 to £100 depending on area and practice; filling and crown work follows the private price range we cover in our private dentist prices UK guide. The honest framing: if your need is routine, going private once to clear an immediate problem can buy you time to keep working the NHS routes for ongoing care. For more on the cost trade-offs, see our NHS vs private dentist UK cost comparison.

Private membership plans

Plans offered by companies such as Denplan, DPAS, and Practice Plan let you pay a fixed monthly fee that covers a defined range of routine treatments (typically check-ups, hygienist visits, X-rays). Monthly costs vary considerably between practices and depend on your oral health profile; there is no standardised national price. These plans are not regulated as insurance products in most cases, although the practice itself must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). [25]

In March 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority launched a formal market study into UK private dentistry, including pricing transparency in membership plans, prompted by the £8.4 billion private sector becoming the majority of the UK dentistry market. [25] That study is ongoing as of mid-2026, which means the regulatory landscape may change. We cover plans in more detail in our best dental insurance UK guide.

Dental teaching hospitals

The UK's major NHS dental teaching hospitals run referral-based specialist services and limited urgent care. They are not a replacement for primary care and they do not generally take walk-in patients for routine treatment.

• Eastman Dental Hospital (London), part of the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals managed by UCLH, provides specialist outpatient dental services on referral. [26]
• King's College Hospital Dental Institute (London) provides acute (emergency) dental care for adults with significant facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, uncontrolled dental pain, or acute dental injury. It explicitly does not cover routine dental treatment, denture repairs, or recementing crowns and bridges. Access for unscheduled care is via NHS 111 transferred to London Dental Triage. [14]
• Birmingham Dental Hospital, run by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, handles around 115,000 attendances each year covering restorative dentistry, oral surgery, oral medicine, orthodontics, and paediatric dentistry, with unscheduled emergency care accessed via NHS 111. [27]

If you have complex needs that a general practice cannot meet, your dentist or GP can refer you to one of these specialist services. Student teaching clinics within these hospitals sometimes offer treatment at a reduced cost, but waiting times can be long.

Charity and community dental services

There is no major nationwide charity in England that runs free adult dental clinics on a routine basis. Some community dental services, run by NHS trusts, provide care for patients with specific needs (severe anxiety, learning disabilities, certain medical conditions); access is by referral from a GP or another dental professional. The Oral Health Foundation focuses on education and policy rather than treatment.

Dental treatment abroad

A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) covers medically necessary state-provided healthcare in European Economic Area countries on the same basis as a resident, including emergency dental treatment that cannot reasonably wait until you return home. [28] Routine dental work obtained specifically for the purpose of getting treatment cheaper abroad ("dental tourism") is not covered. For an honest look at the trade-offs, our dental tourism vs UK treatment guide covers the regulatory, safety, and follow-up considerations.

The bigger picture: NHS dental contract reform in 2026

You are not navigating this problem alone, and it is not getting better simply because dentists do not care. The NHS dental contract in England has operated on a Units of Dental Activity (UDA) system since 2006, which most professional bodies say incentivises volume over complexity and pays practices too little for the most demanding cases.

Significant reforms came into effect in April 2026, following a government consultation in summer 2025 and the response published in December 2025. [29] The headline changes include:

• A mandatory unscheduled (urgent) care element for practices with contracts of 100 or more UDAs, dedicating 8.2 per cent of contract value to urgent care, with a new £75 payment structure.
• New complex care pathways with fees from £238 to £680 for patients with significant decay or gum disease.
• Permission for trained dental nurses to apply fluoride varnish, freeing dentist time.
• Fissure sealants reclassified to Band 2.
• A quality improvement programme worth £3,400 per participating practice per year. [30]

The BDA has called these "the biggest tweaks this failed contract has seen in its history" while warning they fall far short of the fundamental change required.

"We do hope changes can make things easier for practices and patients in the interim, but this cannot be the end of the road. We need a response proportionate to the challenges we face, to give NHS dentistry a sustainable future." -- Shiv Pabary, BDA General Dental Practice Committee Chair [31]

The government has also committed to delivering 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments in 2025/26, distributed across ICBs, with regional variation; the North East and North Cumbria received the largest share at 57,559 appointments. [32] The New Patient Premium scheme (which had paid practices extra for taking on new NHS patients) closed on 31 March 2025, as planned. [33]

For background on what these changes mean for patients, see our NHS dental contract reform explained and NHS dental waiting lists guides.

Frequently asked questions

Can an NHS dentist refuse to treat me?

Yes, an individual NHS practice can decline to take you on as an NHS patient if their NHS contract is full. They cannot, however, refuse to provide clinically necessary NHS treatment to an existing NHS patient simply to push them toward private care. If you believe that is happening, escalate through the practice's complaints procedure, then to your local Integrated Care Board, and ultimately to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Do I need to register with one NHS dentist for life like I do with a GP?

No. NHS.uk states that completing a registration form at a dental practice does not mean you will always be able to get NHS care there in future. NHS dentistry works appointment-by-appointment, and you can be seen at any practice currently accepting NHS patients. Healthwatch found 68 per cent of the public misunderstands this.

How quickly can NHS 111 book a dental appointment?

NHS 111 operates twenty-four hours a day and can directly book urgent dental appointments at urgent dental care centres since May 2024. NHS England's clinical guidance targets a response within 24 hours for urgent need and within 60 minutes for true dental emergencies. The 111 clinician triages you and books the nearest available appointment if your case meets the urgent or emergency threshold.

What is the difference between an Integrated Care Board (ICB) and a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)?

ICBs replaced CCGs from 1 July 2022 under the Health and Care Act 2022. ICBs took on full responsibility for commissioning NHS dental services in their area from April 2023. There are 42 ICBs in England, each covering a defined population. If you have not contacted yours about dental access, that is one of the most effective formal escalation routes available.

Is it worth joining an NHS dental waiting list if I might wait a year or more?

Yes. Practices do work through waiting lists in order, even if the wait is long. Joining several lists (with different practices in your reasonable travel radius) substantially raises your chance of being called within a year. Keep records, call back every three to six months to confirm you are still on each list, and accept the first reasonable offer.

Are children and pregnant women prioritised when NHS dentists are full?

Some practices accept new NHS patients only in priority categories such as children, pregnant women, or patients on qualifying benefits. The NHSBSA exemption rules entitle these groups to free NHS treatment, and dental access services commissioned by ICBs typically prioritise them. Always state at first contact if you are pregnant, have had a baby in the last 12 months, are under 18, or qualify for free treatment, because practices and helplines often have separate routes for exempt patients.

Can I get an NHS dentist in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland under different rules?

NHS dental access and charging structures differ across the four UK nations. The figures and rules in this guide apply to England. Wales operates a care-package model with individual fees, Scotland operates an 80 per cent charge system with a maximum of £384 per course of treatment, and Northern Ireland follows yet another structure. If you are in one of the devolved nations, contact your relevant health board directly (NHS Wales, NHS Scotland, or the Health and Social Care Board in Northern Ireland).

What should I do if my child has tooth pain and we cannot find an NHS dentist?

Call NHS 111. Children with dental pain are a clinical priority, and 111 can book urgent care directly. In the meantime, dose paracetamol or ibuprofen at the age-appropriate dose, apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek, and avoid extremes of hot, cold, or sugary food and drink. Under-18s receive NHS dental care free of charge, so when you are offered an appointment the cost is not a barrier.

Find a dentist near you

Dentists Closeby is built to make the search easier when "no NHS dentist is taking patients" feels true. Our directory lists NHS and private practices in the UK, shows what each is currently accepting, and lets you compare practices on services, location, and reviews. Search for a dentist near you to see which practices currently have capacity in your area, including those that have just opened their NHS lists.

If you are reading this in the middle of dental pain, please use NHS 111 (phone 111 or 111.nhs.uk) for urgent care. If you have heavy bleeding, serious facial or jaw injury, or a swelling spreading toward your eye, call 999 or go to A&E.

Sources

1. NHS England, GP Patient Survey Dental Statistics, January to March 2025, England, published 24 July 2025. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/gp-patient-survey-dental-statistics-january-to-march-2025-england/
2. House of Commons Library, "How does access to NHS dentistry compare across areas in England?", Research Briefing CBP-9597, June 2025. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/how-does-access-to-nhs-dentistry-compare-across-areas-in-england/
3. NHS England, "Arrangements for NHS urgent primary dental care during 2025/26 and confirmation of the closure of the New Patient Premium scheme", February 2025. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/arrangements-for-nhs-urgent-primary-dental-care-during-2025-26-and-confirmation-of-the-closure-of-the-new-patient-premium-scheme/
4. British Dental Association, "13 million unable to access NHS dentistry". https://www.bda.org/media-centre/13-million-unable-to-access-nhs-dentistry/
5. Healthwatch England, "Access to NHS dentistry 2024: findings", 20 November 2024. https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/report/2024-11-20/access-nhs-dentistry-2024-findings
6. NHS.uk, "How to find an NHS dentist". https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/
7. Healthwatch England, "Public's confusion over 'right' to register with an NHS dentist", 20 November 2024. https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/2024-11-20/publics-confusion-over-right-register-nhs-dentist
8. NHS.uk, "How to find an NHS dentist" (NHS find-a-dentist tool). https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/
9. NHS.uk, "Find your local integrated care board". https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-your-local-integrated-care-board/
10. NHS.uk, "How to find an NHS dentist" (ICB contact guidance). https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/
11. NHS.uk, "When to use NHS 111 online or call 111". https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/
12. Mid and South Essex ICS, "NHS 111 able to directly book urgent dental appointments for first time in England", 2024. https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/news/nhs-111-able-to-directly-book-urgent-dental-appointments-for-first-time-in-england/
13. NHS England, "Clinical guidance: unscheduled urgent and non-urgent dental care". https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/clinical-guidance-unscheduled-urgent-and-non-urgent-dental-care/
14. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, "Acute dental care". https://www.kch.nhs.uk/patientsvisitors/patients/dental-patients/acute-dental-care
15. NHSBSA Knowledge Base, "What are the NHS dental charges?" (from 1 April 2026). https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-02003/en-us
16. Healthwatch England, "Find your local Healthwatch". https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/your-local-healthwatch/list
17. Healthwatch England, "Our position on NHS dentistry", 17 February 2026. https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/2026-02-17/our-position-nhs-dentistry
18. NHS.uk, "How to find an emergency or urgent NHS dentist appointment". https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist-in-an-emergency/
19. NHS England, "Feedback and complaints about NHS services". https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/feedback-and-complaints/complaint/
20. General Dental Council, "How to get a refund or make a complaint". https://www.gdc-uk.org/raising-concerns/how-to-get-a-refund-or-make-a-complaint
21. NHS England, "Contact your local integrated care board (ICB)". https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/about-nhs-services/contact-your-local-integrated-care-board-icb/
22. NHS.uk, "Who can get free NHS dental treatment or help with dental costs". https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-can-get-free-nhs-dental-treatment/
23. NHSBSA, "Free NHS dental treatment". https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-dental-costs/free-nhs-dental-treatment
24. NHS.uk, "Get help with dental costs". https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/get-help-with-dental-costs/
25. Gov.uk, "CMA launches review of private dentistry", 5 March 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-launches-review-of-private-dentistry
26. NHS.uk service directory, Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals. https://www.nhs.uk/services/hospital/royal-national-ent-and-eastman-dental-hospitals/RRVP5
27. Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham Dental Hospital. https://www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/birmingham-dental-hospital/
28. NHS.uk, "Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)". https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/
29. Gov.uk, "Government response to consultation on NHS dentistry contract: quality and payment reforms", 16 December 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms
30. NHS England, "Preparing for NHS dental quality and payment contract reforms", 3 March 2026. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/preparing-for-nhs-dental-quality-and-payment-contract-reforms/
31. British Dental Association, "England: Interim change may help but cannot be end of the road". https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/england-interim-change-may-help-but-cannot-be-end-of-the-road/
32. Gov.uk, "Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments", 21 February 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dental-patients-to-benefit-from-700000-extra-urgent-appointments
33. NHS England, urgent primary dental care 2025/26 guidance (closure of New Patient Premium scheme, see source 3).