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A new digital service to help make it easier to find an NHS dentist is being rolled out across Wales.
The Dental Access Portal provides a central platform for people to register their interest in NHS dentistry and for health boards to allocate places for routine NHS dental treatment.
The service will provide a clear picture of the scale of demand for NHS dental services and will mean people no longer need to call multiple dental surgeries to try to find an NHS dentist.
To apply through the Dental Access Portal, people must:
- Be aged 16 or over (parents/guardians can apply for under 16s)
- Not have received routine dental treatment on the NHS in the last four years
- Live at an address in Wales for more than six months of the year or attend a Welsh GP practice.
Speaking as the new service goes live across Wales, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “Access to NHS dentistry is not where we or the public want it to be. This new service will help people who may not have seen a dentist for some time get access to routine NHS appointments.
“Since the trial began in Powys, thousands of people have already been added to the list and will be allocated an NHS dentist as appointments become available.”
The new dental access portal will be run by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).
Anyone who is already a patient at an NHS dental practice should call them directly for any routine or emergency dental appointments.
If you don’t currently have an NHS Wales dentist and you need:
- Urgent dental treatment, please visit the NHS 111 Wales website for more information.
- Routine dental treatment, you can apply for a place online via the Dental Access Portal. If you are eligible and you apply, you will be contacted when an appointment becomes available.