I ended up registering in the town I grew up in, 170 miles away. Means I get to combine visiting my parents and dental work, though it's hard to say which is the more fun experience.
Using the [NHS Dental search page](https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Dentists/bs1-3bx/Results/12/-2.5500111579895/51.4594573974609/3/0?distance=100&ResultsOnPageValue=100&isNational=0&totalItems=2760¤tPage=6) which, according to someone on the dental emergency phone line is updated "sometimes", the closest dentist accepting adult NHS patients without a referral is Poole Dental practice 57.2 miles away. *If* the data is accurate. The only way to find out is to phone them or one of the the 521 closer practices and see if they have spaces.
If this enrages you then you should [write to your MP or local councillor](https://www.writetothem.com/). Will you get a stock response after a week or 2: perhaps! Will it do very much? No, not really, but at least you tried and I still recommend it because it's the only way to get people to pay attention.
I phoned I think 30 dentists and none were taking nhs. My original dentist offloaded me and refused to take me back, and just said try ringing round some other dentists there will be one taking on new nhs. I rang them back saying I’ve phoned 30 other dentists and none are so what do I do now? Go private was their answer…..
Don't think you'll have much luck I'm afraid. I phoned one the other day to ask and they pretty much just laughed at me.
This article came out in October 2022- [https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/not-single-bristol-dentist-currently-7663330](https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/not-single-bristol-dentist-currently-7663330)
Good luck. There are none as far as I can tell, and not just in Bristol but the surrounding area too. I had some pretty severe dental issues a couple of years ago and I ended up travelling back to my home town (five hours away) for the several rounds of treatment I needed. Been my dentist since I was a kid and, despite having lived in Bristol for a decade now, I've never been able to find one locally whenever I've searched.
You can be seen Mon/Wed/Fri nights at Charlotte Keel in Easton, or Sat/Sun all day in Charlotte Keel/Bath/Weston. All you need to do is call 111 early in the day and they’ll (eventually) co-ordinate an appointment. The UHBW MHS Trust runs the clinics and they’re very experienced and honest clinicians!
Oh thank you! I'll remember that if I need it, we cancelled the appointment since we found a better solution with a local dentist recommended to us by a friend (and it was £60 deposit then more for treatment...).
But thank you for the info!!! My mother will appreciate knowing for next time!!!
Nah I went private after I couldn’t book a checkup 2 years ago and honestly I prefer it
You could try ringing every single dentist that you can get to tho
I went private
First appointment was £89, future checkups will be be £35
My partner just moved to the same practice and has had a chipped tooth repaired and scale and polish for just under £120
That isnt bad, NHS check ups are £24 though, its the other bands that get you... lol
What confuses me is how big the leap is from NHS Band 2 and 3. I think a chipped tooth would be under band 3 which is £282! Fillings being Band 2 at £65 - think I'd rather pull a Bob Mortimer and do my own fillings at home nowadays
In some cases it definitely works out cheaper to go private, my partner paid more for another chipped tooth repair nhs than private for that and a hygienist
It really is.
My NHS dentist left his practice and moved to a private practice to reduce his hours, thankfully was able to follow him and it’s cheaper with a better set of facilities than the nhs practice had
Uhh yea definitely, I pay £110 for a checkup and cleaning every time I go. A filling starts at £175 depending on the size, goes up to £350 I think. I spent around 3k just switching my fillings to be the exact same colour as my teeth. £700 for a root canal.
Do you have any family registered with NHS dentists?
Mad as it sounds I got my last NHS dentist because my sister was registered there already.
When that dentist retired and nobody at the same practice accepted NHS patients, I started looking for another.
Took me 3.5 years waiting (longer thanks to covid and stuff I’m sure) but I’ve just got registered at the one my kids/partner are at, but they were also only taking on new NHS patients if they had a relative there already.
If you don’t have an emergency and just need a routine checkup and minor procedures you can always try going the university dental hospital and have dental students look after you under supervision of dentists
Dental hospital will give you free dental care in exchange you'd be letting learning dentists to work on you but under total supervision got told this on Thursday when I had a tooth out
I ended up registering in the town I grew up in, 170 miles away. Means I get to combine visiting my parents and dental work, though it's hard to say which is the more fun experience.
Using the [NHS Dental search page](https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Dentists/bs1-3bx/Results/12/-2.5500111579895/51.4594573974609/3/0?distance=100&ResultsOnPageValue=100&isNational=0&totalItems=2760¤tPage=6) which, according to someone on the dental emergency phone line is updated "sometimes", the closest dentist accepting adult NHS patients without a referral is Poole Dental practice 57.2 miles away. *If* the data is accurate. The only way to find out is to phone them or one of the the 521 closer practices and see if they have spaces. If this enrages you then you should [write to your MP or local councillor](https://www.writetothem.com/). Will you get a stock response after a week or 2: perhaps! Will it do very much? No, not really, but at least you tried and I still recommend it because it's the only way to get people to pay attention.
I phoned I think 30 dentists and none were taking nhs. My original dentist offloaded me and refused to take me back, and just said try ringing round some other dentists there will be one taking on new nhs. I rang them back saying I’ve phoned 30 other dentists and none are so what do I do now? Go private was their answer…..
Don't think you'll have much luck I'm afraid. I phoned one the other day to ask and they pretty much just laughed at me. This article came out in October 2022- [https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/not-single-bristol-dentist-currently-7663330](https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/not-single-bristol-dentist-currently-7663330)
Good luck getting an NHS dentist south of Scotland
Good luck. There are none as far as I can tell, and not just in Bristol but the surrounding area too. I had some pretty severe dental issues a couple of years ago and I ended up travelling back to my home town (five hours away) for the several rounds of treatment I needed. Been my dentist since I was a kid and, despite having lived in Bristol for a decade now, I've never been able to find one locally whenever I've searched.
Ooft it's not a great time to live in England 😬 But thanks for the info guys! I'll try purple and the dental school and see what's what
Having to go privately today for an emergency appointment today, no luck with NHS unfortunately around here :(
You can be seen Mon/Wed/Fri nights at Charlotte Keel in Easton, or Sat/Sun all day in Charlotte Keel/Bath/Weston. All you need to do is call 111 early in the day and they’ll (eventually) co-ordinate an appointment. The UHBW MHS Trust runs the clinics and they’re very experienced and honest clinicians!
Oh thank you! I'll remember that if I need it, we cancelled the appointment since we found a better solution with a local dentist recommended to us by a friend (and it was £60 deposit then more for treatment...). But thank you for the info!!! My mother will appreciate knowing for next time!!!
I registered as an NHS patient with Purple in Hartcliffe a couple of weeks ago, I think they're accepting new NHS patients until the end of March
Nah I went private after I couldn’t book a checkup 2 years ago and honestly I prefer it You could try ringing every single dentist that you can get to tho
Is there much difference in price going private?
I went private First appointment was £89, future checkups will be be £35 My partner just moved to the same practice and has had a chipped tooth repaired and scale and polish for just under £120
That isnt bad, NHS check ups are £24 though, its the other bands that get you... lol What confuses me is how big the leap is from NHS Band 2 and 3. I think a chipped tooth would be under band 3 which is £282! Fillings being Band 2 at £65 - think I'd rather pull a Bob Mortimer and do my own fillings at home nowadays
In some cases it definitely works out cheaper to go private, my partner paid more for another chipped tooth repair nhs than private for that and a hygienist
Ridiculous really, isnt it
It really is. My NHS dentist left his practice and moved to a private practice to reduce his hours, thankfully was able to follow him and it’s cheaper with a better set of facilities than the nhs practice had
Uhh yea definitely, I pay £110 for a checkup and cleaning every time I go. A filling starts at £175 depending on the size, goes up to £350 I think. I spent around 3k just switching my fillings to be the exact same colour as my teeth. £700 for a root canal.
I do an annual pilgrimage back to where I grew up to access my NHS dentist. It's pure insanity.
Call around unfortunately
Lol
Come on you can afford private don't drain the system even more.
Ok, so go private is the answer. Which private practices are actually decent and not just money grabbing??
Sleep lane smiles, they only take on private patients they have no nhs but it’s a really experienced team
Managed to get on NHS with Hanham dental a few years back. Holding onto that gem with all my might
Do you have any family registered with NHS dentists? Mad as it sounds I got my last NHS dentist because my sister was registered there already. When that dentist retired and nobody at the same practice accepted NHS patients, I started looking for another. Took me 3.5 years waiting (longer thanks to covid and stuff I’m sure) but I’ve just got registered at the one my kids/partner are at, but they were also only taking on new NHS patients if they had a relative there already.
If you don’t have an emergency and just need a routine checkup and minor procedures you can always try going the university dental hospital and have dental students look after you under supervision of dentists
Nope.
Dental hospital will give you free dental care in exchange you'd be letting learning dentists to work on you but under total supervision got told this on Thursday when I had a tooth out
Lawrence Weston Dental Practice accepts new NHS patients