How to find an NHS dentist

Why NHS dental places are hard to find, how to search for one, what to do in a dental emergency, and what CQC ratings do and do not tell you about dentists.

Published 2026-06-16 · A general guide, not legal, medical or financial advice.

NHS dental access is stretched across much of England, and whether any given practice is taking new NHS patients changes from week to week. With some persistence it is usually possible to find care, and there are clear routes for emergencies even if you are not registered anywhere.

How to search

• Use the official NHS "Find a dentist" service, which lists practices and, where known, whether they are accepting new NHS patients. This information changes constantly, so always phone the practice to confirm before relying on it.
• You do not have to register the way you do with a GP, and you are not tied to the nearest practice, so widen your search if local lists are closed.
• Ask practices to add you to a waiting list, and check back regularly, as places do open up when capacity changes.
• If you struggle to find anywhere, your local NHS body (the integrated care board) has a role in commissioning dental services and can sometimes help.

In a dental emergency

If you are in pain and cannot get an appointment, call NHS 111, which can direct you to urgent dental care, including out of hours. Do not use A&E for routine dental problems, but do seek urgent help for facial swelling that is spreading, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma to the mouth or face, as these can be serious.

NHS charges and exemptions

NHS dental treatment is charged in fixed bands according to the type of treatment, and some people are exempt, for example children, and some adults on low incomes or certain benefits. Check the current bands and the exemption rules on the NHS website, as both are updated from time to time.

What CQC ratings tell you about dentists

The CQC registers and inspects dental practices to make sure they are safe and well-led, but it does not award most dentists an overall star rating in the way it does for care homes and GP practices. So on CareRadar a dentist's page shows its registration, location and contact details, and an inspection report where one exists, with a clear note that most dentists are not given an overall CQC rating. For live NHS availability, which is not part of CQC's data and changes far too often for any third party to mirror reliably, we link you straight to the NHS find-a-dentist service rather than risk showing you something out of date.