Why it matters: Access to NHS dental care has been challenging for many Ipswich residents, but the new £1.2 million Urgent Care Dental Service aims to provide immediate help for those with painful dental issues.
By the numbers: The service increases urgent dental appointments by 15,413 during 2025-26, bringing the total to 59,921 appointments commissioned for the current financial year.
The details: Seventeen practices are already delivering the service, with another seven set to join soon, according to NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Appointments are available seven days a week, including evenings, across multiple locations including Ipswich, Felixstowe, Hadleigh and Stowmarket.
How it works: People needing urgent dental treatment should contact NHS 111 to access appropriate care. Those who have had NHS dental care from a practice in Suffolk or north east Essex in the last 12 months should contact that practice first.
The service caters to two patient groups:
Those requiring dental care within 24 hours, including patients in pain, with infections or excessive bleeding
Those needing care within seven days, including patients who need fillings, have loose crowns or bridges, or broken teeth
What they're saying: Peter Wightman, Director for Dental, Pharmacy, Optometry and Vaccination Commissioning at the ICB, said: "The new Urgent Care Dental Service brings additional high-quality, unscheduled dental care closer to home for local people and builds on our Dental Priority Access and Stabilisation Service, which has already delivered 12,452 appointments to people in pain and to those in vulnerable groups since April last year."
"More people who have not been able to access either an NHS or private dental practice can now obtain certain NHS dental treatments within one to seven days," he added.
For context: Standard NHS dental charges apply, with patients expected to require between one and two appointments at a total cost of £27.40. Some patients qualify for free NHS dental treatment or help with costs.
The bottom line: While this initiative provides immediate relief for those with urgent dental needs, the ICB acknowledges that gaps in dental provision remain. It is working on a wider procurement plan to address this, including establishing NHS dental care in underserved areas.
