Ashford confirmed as one of seven dentist hotspots

Ashford has been confirmed as one of seven locations throughout Kent now being used for urgent and emergency dental care, NHS Kent and Medway have announced.

Despite all routine public and private dentistry being stopped due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the NHS is continuing to provide urgent dental care.

Seven hubs have been set up across the county, with services now confirmed alongside Ashford at Canterbury, Chatham, Larkfield, Maidstone, Ramsgate and Rochester.

The NHS Kent Community Health website, which has also confirmed private patients are applicable for emergency care, said: “Routine dental across Kent and North East London has been suspended and we are operating on urgent care service only.

“We will contact patients to reschedule appointments when  services resume, and in the meantime patients can contact the service in an emergency.”

Nearly 40 hubs are being set up throughout Kent and Medway

The added hubs are just part of a network of 36 centres being created across the South East by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

If you believe you have a dental emergency, you are advised to call your dental practice or search for a local one on the NHS website where you will be offered advice or possible medication.

If they believe that you need to be treated urgently, they will then refer you to a local urgent dental care hub, where you will be further examined for possible treatment.

The seven hubs will also provide you with information prior to the appointment about arrangements for treatment which meet the social distancing requirements.

If you have a dental emergency outside of normal surgery opening hours, you can call 111 for advice and information on your local out-of-hours emergency dental service.