Emergency NHS Dentist service - Kings College Hospital

[PeckhamRose]

So this morning I lost a filling and my whole gum area started aching baaaaaaaaad.

I rang up East Dulwich Dentists at 9.00 and asked for an emergency appointment.

They said they were doubled booked today (Thursday 15th July) and all tomorrow too, and they can't see me till Monday.

Great.

At about 6pm when it became clear the painkillers were having no effect, I rang the emergency dental service at SELDOC who had the emergency dental nurse phone me back with an appointment for 9.45 this evening.

I have just got back from there and I'll need a root canal. I had the nerve numbed and was sent away with two lots of antibiotics and stuff to see me through till my dentist appointment Monday morning.

1) I can not praise the emergency service enough, and am lucky I live in this society where such a service exists.

2) This service has been cut drastically in the few years since I last needed the service, and I hope it will not be cut even more.

3) Bit peed off with my own dentist surgery for expecting me to wait four days for the next emergency appointment they could make. Have no ruck with Bummi the dentist herself who is absolutely adorable and a very very fine dentist.

Speech over!

[DJKillaQueen]

Just wish we were the kind of society that had enough NHS dentists to go round instead of millions of people unable to find one.

[HonaloochieB]

I had cause to use the King's Dental CLinic a few years back and they were great, wish I could use them as a regular dentist.

[steveo]

Yes, best to stay on the right side of Bummi

[jalapeno]

PeckhamRose, next time you'd like an emergency dental appointment, try North Cross Road Dental Surgery.

I was in your shoes a few months back and they came to my rescue at very short notice. Their staff our lovely and very attentive.

Hope you're in less pain now.

And yes SELDOC are fabulous, always very obliging.

[PeckhamRose]

I am a satisfied patient of Bummi at East Dulwich Dental care on Forest Hill Road, just a bit unhappy about the way they overbook so they can't fit in emergencies that must arise.

But the emergency dentist that SELDOC handles at Kings College Hospital - the facilities have been cut and cut and it's a shadow of it's former self! I am a Member of the Foundation Trust and will raise the issue at the next meeting.

Meanwhile, THE DRUGS WORK! Pain subsiding a bit till Monday morning :(

[Jah Lush]

I've had to use SELDOC at Kings a couple of times in the past. They saved one of my teeth quite recently which I was determed to have pulled because I was in so much pain but they persuaded me to save it and the treatment I received was excellent. I also had three wisdom teeth pulled painlessly there about ten years ago. I hope they survive the current culling within the NHS.

[Dorothy]

We are also fans of the emergency dental service at King's. Mr husband had cause to walk up there on Christmas Day once in excrutiating pain (having ignored a niggly toothache for, oh, no more than a couple of weeks) and they sorted him out and sent him home in good enough shape to indulge in the customary yuletide excesses.

[expat]

How can it be an emrgency if he had a toothache for over 2 weeks?

[PeckhamRose]

Because the drugs stopped working?