Swansea Bay NHS shares some information on how to access dental services during lockdown. Dental services are still open and available via your registed dental practice. You can contact them over the phone for advice. If you aren’t registered to a dentist, or get a problem out of hours, ring 111. 

Tooth ache or dental infection:

“If patients ring up with a toothache, swelling or non-healing ulcer now, they will initially get a telephone consultation

Dentists will review your case over the phone and if it is something simple like a broken filling they will give advice on how to manage them for the time being.

….Depending on the problem, they might offer prescription antibiotics or painkillers. Video links trials with patients to further aid patient care are also being considered. If a dentist cannot assess you over the phone you will be asked to come to the surgery to be assessed in person

URGENT PROBLEMS

It’s important that people continue to contact their local dentist if they have urgent problems such as a swelling, pain that is not relieved with simple analgesia within 24-48 hours or if they have ulcers which are not healing within seven days.

…if you are not registered with a practice, or develop a problem outside of normal working hours, ring 111 and they will help you find your nearest emergency dentist.

Patients with toothache should not attend an Emergency Department.”

Certain parts of their service can’t continue due to infection risks (e.g. aerosol generating procedures like drilling that produces fine sprays).

For patients who are urgent cases and do need to have more complex care or procedures, the health board has set up an urgent dental centre, which all dentists in the area can quickly refer patients to. Staff there are equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment, which allows them to safely carry out these more complex procedures.