Our registered patients are advised to call the practice and listen to the announcement on 01271 500001 as your first point of contact. It may take some time to get the phone number of the dentist on call, therefore, please be patient. The calls to the dentist on call sometimes will reach an answer phone at the number to which you were referred to, but it is routinely monitored, and your call should be returned within an hour by the dentist in 99% of the cases. However, the majority of the calls are answered instantly. As this private service is maintained exclusively for our registered patients, the dentist on call will ask you a few short questions at the beginning of your conversation to identify you and the practice you are registered with.
This service is provided for patients, who have pain, swelling or bleeding only, therefore, unable to wait until the next surgery opening time. There is a charge for opening the practice for you (partially reclaimable by the insurance policy provided to those patients of our practice registered on the Hillcrest Smies Saver scheme), and an additional fee for the treatment(s) your case may requires, which should be covered by yourself. Please ask the dentist on call about the expected charges before committing yourself to an out of hours visit to avoid any disappointment
Non-Registered Patients can call the NHS 111 Service. We found this service more accessible in the late night, or early morning hours. They will guide you to the nearest emergency dental centre for further advice.
Kindest Regards
Hillcrest Dental Team