Acute dental care
What we do
We provide emergency dental care for adults with severe dental problems who have been assessed by the 111 London Dental Triage.
Severe dental problems include:
- significant facial swelling
- uncontrolled bleeding
- uncontrolled dental pain
- acute dental injury (trauma).
We do not provide:
- routine dental treatment
- repairs to dentures
- recementing of crowns and bridges
- routine dental referrals.
Contact your regular dental practice about these treatments.
What to do if you have a dentist
If you need urgent dental care and are registered with a dentist, please phone your dental practice first. They will deal with your problem or hand over your care to a suitable urgent dental care hub to manage your needs promptly.
To find a local dentist, go to www.nhs.uk
What to do if you don’t have a dentist
If you need urgent dental care but are unable to contact your dentist or do not have one, please contact NHS 111 by phone or online at www.111.nhs.uk. When phoning within the London area, ask to be transferred to London Dental Triage. They will assess your needs and refer you to a suitable urgent dental care hub to manage your needs promptly.
What to do if you have been referred to oral surgery
If you have been newly referred to us, we are sorry to inform you there will be a substantial wait. We cannot currently tell people how long this will be, but are doing all we can to make this as short as possible.
Please keep in contact with your own dentist who will be updated on the status of your referral. Your dentist can support you with symptom management until we can invite you in for an assessment.
During your visit
We will try to see you at your appointed time, however, sometimes other patients’ care may be more urgent and will take priority. If your appointment is delayed, please ask a member of the reception staff for an update.
Acute Dental Care is in the Dental Institute, which is a Dental School. You will be seen by dental students and junior clinical staff under the supervision of senior clinicians. As a teaching unit, we see fewer patients during university holidays, including Christmas, Easter, and June to mid-September.
During your visit we will examine your mouth and head and discuss your condition with you. You may be asked to have dental tests and x-rays.
We may then seek further information or referral from your dentist or GP, treatments on clinic, or transfer for treatments to oral surgery or other departments.
Some treatments are temporary and we will ask you to return to your dentist for completion of treatment or referral.
We are open Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 4.30pm (excluding Bank Holidays).
Preparing for your appointment
Please bring a list of your medications and information on your general health, so that we can properly assess you.
Please try to arrive on time and be aware that if you are significantly late then you might not be able to be seen.
If English is not your first language, then please note that you will need to be accompanied by someone who will be able to translate for you.
Location
Ground floor, Dental Institute, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS
Contact Details
- Main Reception: 020 3299 3052
Patient information leaflets
| Title | File Size | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Dental radiology (adult patients) | 147 KB | |
| Dental radiology (child patients) | 285 KB |
Conditions we treat
Patients with the following urgent dental problems, who are unable to contact their dentist, or don’t have one, can be assessed via 111 London Dental Triage:
- significant facial swelling
- uncontrolled bleeding
- uncontrolled dental pain
- acute dental injury (trauma).
Booking a patient at King’s
Routine Referrals
We do not take routine referrals.
Emergency Referrals
Patients with urgent dental problems can contact NHS 111 by phone or online at www.111.nhs.uk to be referred to a suitable urgent dental care hub.
Key Clinical Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Mr Dapo Akintola | Consultant in Oral Surgery |
| Miss Gurpreet Flora | Senior Dental Nurse |