NHS Dentist before registering w/ GP?

Hi all,

I think I cracked a tooth this week - it's hard to eat or drink without pain.  Sensitive toothpaste helps but I'm worried that it will get worse.

I arrived in London on a settlement (spousal) visa only a week ago and my husband doesn't have a GP in his new area where we live.  I'm planning to find one and try to register but I really need dental treatment ASAP.

There is a dental practice up the road.  Should I just call them and try to get treated or do I need to go to A&E?

Thanks for any help!

You could try calling the local dental surgery -- they might be willing to take you. However, it's often hard to get NHS dentistry, and the surgery might only be taking private patients. Make sure you check, because it can be pretty expensive to get work done privately!

Is there a dental hospital in your area? They will usually take patients at short notice. You'll be treated by a (supervised) student, but it's NHS and they can usually see you very soon if you are in pain.

Call and ask for an emergency appointment. I had to do that before registering for a GP and didn't have any issues due to the lack of GP.

You may have to go to a practice further afield if they aren't accepting new paitents. Service search is an easy way to find who is accepting paitents:
http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx?ServiceType=Dentist&WT.mc_id=030901

Hope you feel better sooN!