Need a new dentist...

[pagey]

Ive been using the same dentist for a while but as I now have to move away, I will need to be looking for a new one. Ive also been experiencing some toothache and would like to get an appointment asap. Where do I start? What do I look for? NHS or private? Whats the difference?

ps any advice for temporary toothache relief?!

[tigerthecat]

phone nhs direct - they will help :-)

[bellasasha]

chew on whole cloves for the toothache or rinse with warm water and salt-cures everything!!!

[PhilBy]

Oil of cloves may give some temporary relief ........... a small finger dip of cocaine rubbed onto the tooth will kill the pain for sure but something not everyone will have in their medicine cabinet me thinks :-)

[RoadAtlas]

Re the pain relief - gently rub a small amount of Sensodyne toothpaste (the gel one is the best) onto the painful tooth - it contains a local anaesthetic and may help to numb the area. I don't think ordinary toothpastes will have the same effect.

[rugeleyboy]

hi pagey, my local major city (birmingham) is 25 miles away, however, they have got a dentistry college,where you can go without appointments?.......... i hope they still do it??

is there any thing like that near you??

[kazza12345]

try http://www.nhs.uk/ - you can do a postcode search of all the dentisits near you, and what services they offer, whether they are private or nhs, taking on patients etc.

Personally i would look for nhs, because not paying too much is an important concern for me, but you may have other priorities. In the meantime, just use your old dentist for your toothache now. From the way you have worded you q it seems you havent moved yet, and even if you have, you could still travel to your old one if speed was of the essense

[sense4all]

Do not use this to mask the symtoms, ask for Anbesol it has a local anaesthetic, is a liquid - so does not slide about like a gel. I use a private dentist, and they are not all extortionate ask for a scale of charges NHS versus local private before you decide.Investigate joining HSA and claim some of the costs back if it is cheaper to pay that cost.