Thousands of new dental appointments as surgery reopens

A revamped dental practice is offering thousands of new urgent dental appointments.

Unregistered patients at Abbey Meads Dental Practice in Swindon can now book urgent appointments for worsening mouth infections, severe toothache and broken teeth.

The opening of the new facility comes after people in Wiltshire spoke of month-long waits for treatment and struggles to find dental support for children.

Jonathan Bouwer-Davies, chief dentist at the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said the appointments will make "a real difference" to those who need urgent dental care.

The revamped centre has 11 treatment rooms and was opened on 16 January with a visit from health minister Stephen Kinnock. Swindon North MP Will Stone and the town's mayor, Fay Howard, also attended.

People do not need to be registered with the new practice to access an appointment, as the slots have been specially created to support those whose dental needs require urgent medical attention.

Ebrahim Iravani, business manager at the site, said the practice will make it "easier and straightforward for people of all ages, particularly young children, who live in this part of Swindon" to gain support for issues with their teeth.

In the past year, Abbey Meads Dental Practice offered school-based dental screenings to more than 5,000 children from 15 schools across Swindon.

This followed official data that revealed children in the town were more likely to require tooth extractions in hospital than their peers living elsewhere in the country.

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