Dentists - Information and Links
This section provides information on dental services in Wales. It includes links to advice on accessing dental services and provides contact details for dental services and helplines, including emergency out of hours contacts, for the various regions within Wales. You will also find links to UK national dental organisations, as well as information about the main changes which have taken place in relation to dentistry as a result of the introduction of new dental contracts in 2006.
Dental Contracts
Since 1st April 2006 new dental contracts between dentists and Health Boards resulted in changes to the dental system in Wales. The main changes affect the following areas:
- NHS Patients are no longer required to be registered with a particular dentist. Patients can continue to keep seeing their usual dentist, who can choose to maintain a list of NHS patients to whom they provide regular or ongoing treatment or care. If your dentist is no longer accepting NHS patients they may still offer treatment as a private patient. It will then be for you to decide whether to accept that arrangement or look for another dentist who provides NHS care. Please visit our Frequently asked questions page for more information on dental services.
- There will be three standard charges for NHS treatment. Please visit our Frequently asked questions page for more information on NHS charging.
- Your dentist will no longer be responsible for providing out of hours treatment when the surgery is closed. This service will now be the responsibility of your Health Board.
Useful Numbers & Links
If you cannot find an NHS Dentist and you require treatment urgently, please contact your local Dental Helpline (shown below).Please note, you should only contact the telephone number/s for the service that covers the area that you live or are staying in.
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Dental Helpline
Covers Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea
(24 hours) telephone 0845 46 47
Betsi Cadwaladr Dental Helpline
Covers Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham
(24 hours) telephone 0845 46 47
Hywel Dda & Powys
Covers Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Powys
(24 hours) telephone 0845 46 47
Aneurin Bevan Dental Helpline
Covers Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen
9am-4pm Monday to Thursday, 9am-3pm Friday telephone 01633 488 389
For evenings, weekends and bank holidays only telephone 0845 602 0252
Cardiff and Vale Dental Helpline
Covers Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan
Telephone number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - Cardiff 02920 444500
Cwm Taf Dental Helpline
Covers Rhondda Cynon Taff & Merthyr Tydfil
9am to 5pm Monday to Friday telephone 01443 680166
For evenings, weekends and bank holidays only 0845 601 0110
Useful Links
Designed to Smile
www.designedtosmile.co.uk
Designed to Smile is a national Oral Health Improvement programme to improve the dental health of children in Wales. The website has infomation on: Toothbrushing, Fissure Sealant, Healthy Eating, Dental Screening and Flouride Varnish.
British Dental Association
www.bda-dentistry.org.uk -
The British Dental Association is the national professional association for dentists. It also works to promote the oral health of the public.
British Dental Health Foundation
www.dentalhealth.org.uk
The British Dental Health Foundation is a charity that is involved in raising public awareness of dental and oral health as well as promoting good dental health practices. They also operate a dental helpline on 0845 063 11 88 which can provide advice for patients with questions about dentistry.