Dentists

The Scottish Government is making changes to NHS dental care in Scotland to support the health needs of every patient in Scotland. It follows a review of provision across Scotland.

Patients are still entitled to a comprehensive range of treatments through the NHS but since the 1 November 2023:

• Check ups: will change from every six months to every 12 months, unless the dentist feels that it is in the interest of your dental health to be seen more frequently.
• Costs: the maximum amount you will be charged will remain capped at £384 or 80% of costs, whichever is lower, but overall costs for some treatments might increase
• Exemptions: all patients who are eligible to receive free dental care or help towards healthcare costs, will still be able to do so

You should continue to contact your dental practice as normal if you have any dental concerns or notice any changes.

To brush up on what you’re entitled to, visit nhsinform.scot/dentist

About NHS dental care

The majority of dental care is provided by independent general dental practitioners (GDPs) working on behalf of local NHS Boards. General Dental Practitioners are independent contractors and own their own businesses, with many providing NHS care along with private practice. In Lothian, there are 175 practices included on the NHS Lothian dental list which provide NHS dental care.

How can I Register with an NHS dental practice?

Please see the list of NHS Lothian dental practices accepting new NHS patients. NHS Lothian seeks updated information from practices on a monthly basis to inform this list. This may change at any time if the practice reaches capacity.

While the Health Board can signpost people to NHS dental practices, it cannot register or assign patients to a dental practice. However, NHS Lothian does have a dedicated service for people who are not registered with a dentist run by the NHS Lothian Oral Health Service through the Chalmers Dental Centre in Edinburgh. Please see the Emergency Dental Care page for more information.

If you have registered with a practice since June 2006 and have been seen for treatment, you will still be registered there (unless you have been notified otherwise).

Dental problems

Registered Patients

If you have a dental problem, you should call the dental practice that you normally attend in the first instance to discuss any treatment needs.

If you have registered with a practice since June 2006 and have been seen for treatment, you will still be registered there (unless you have been notified otherwise).

Outside normal working hours (weekdays 6pm-8am and weekends), if you feel you have an urgent dental need, please contact NHS24 on 111.

Unregistered Patients

Unregistered patients requiring urgent dental care should refer to the Emergency Dental Care page.

Please do not visit a dental surgery without an appointment. If you wish to find out if you can access urgent or routine treatment at your nearest dental practice, you should telephone the dental practice in advance.

The NHS Inform website has a postcode search function to aid with accessing your nearest dental practice contact details and can be found at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/scotlands-service-directory/dental-services Please note that this is simply a list of practices and they may not be registering new NHS patients.

How to register with a dentist

There are a few things that you might want to consider when choosing a dentist:

• First, the dental practice that you attend doesn’t have to be near your home. It may be easier to register with a dentist near work, place of study or near a family member if, for example, you have to arrange childcare.
• Please find a link to the NHS Lothian dental practices accepting new NHS patients. NHS Lothian seeks updated information from practices on a monthly basis to inform this list. This may change at any time if the practice reaches capacity.
• Before you contact a dental practice to make an appointment, please check if the practice has a website. Dental practice websites are a good source of information about the services that the practice provides, their opening times and the exact location of the practice. Sometimes a practice recommended by a family member or friend is a good way to help you decide.
• When you first contact a practice to register, you should confirm that you can be accepted as an NHS patient. If you have any particular needs, when you first call you should speak to the practice receptionist about these.
• If you think you are entitled to free dental treatment or to help with the cost of NHS dental treatment, you should discuss this also when making your first appointment. For more information, read https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/access/help-with-health-costs
• When you call a dental practice as a new patient, usually you will be given a first appointment for an examination only. If you know that you need some dental treatment, you can discuss this with the dentist at this initial appointment and then arrange further treatment appointments to complete the course of treatment. The dentist will need to know about your general health as well as checking the condition of your mouth, teeth and gums. If you currently take any prescription medicine, take a note of the names and doses of this to the appointment. At the end of this first appointment, the dentist will usually give you a plan of the treatment that you require and also an estimate of the likely cost of it under the NHS. The current maximum charge for a course of NHS dental treatment is £384.
• Please note – you only become a registered patient of a practice once you have been seen and a claim for NHS treatment has been submitted by the practice