August 2025 update: NHS dentistry in Wokingham Borough
- Healthwatch Wokingham
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Residents across the borough and England have made it clear: NHS dentistry must be affordable and accessible for all.
To help you understand the current situation, we’ve created a quick Q&A covering local dental access, how to find care, and what Healthwatch is doing to help.
Looking for an NHS Dentist?
Currently, no practices in Wokingham Borough are accepting new NHS patients. Many have long wait lists, however, you can join multiple dental surgery waitlists and be contacted when a slot opens.
How to find an NHS dentist:
Contact local practices directly to ask about availability.
Search online:
NHS Website: nhs.uk/service-search
Dental Choices (not NHS-run): dentalchoices.org
Call NHS England: 0300 311 2233 for help finding a dental surgery (travel may be required)
Urgent dental needs or emergencies?
If you don’t have an NHS dentist:
Call NHS 111 for emergency appointment bookings.
Call local NHS dentists to ask for one-off urgent NHS appointments (email is not accepted).
Contact the NHS dental surgeries listed below to book an urgent or emergency NHS appointment for yourself or a family member (these surgeries are part of the Flexible Commissioning Scheme and receive special funding).
NHS urgent dental care is for:
People who have not attended a dental practice for two years
People who have relocated to the area
Looked After Children
Families of Armed Forces personnel
Asylum Seekers and refugees
Those with clinical/medical need that requires attendance at a dental practice
Patients who need dental check-ups in support of hospital treatment
Pregnant and nursing mothers
Residents of care homes with identified treatment need who are able to attend the dental practice for treatment
Patients seen under the Urgent and Non-Urgent Unscheduled Dental Access Appointments scheme who need and wish to attend for further stabilisation treatment
The dental clinics listed below offer free NHS appointments for urgent or emergency dental needs (through special funding).
Call early in the morning to book and say Healthwatch Wokingham Borough referred you.
You can attend these practices, even if you live in Wokingham Borough – travel is allowed to other areas of Berkshire West.
Wokingham Borough:
Winnersh Dental Practice, Wokingham – 0118 978 6385
Loddon Bridge Road Dental Practice, Woodley – 0118 969 2935
Reading:
University Dental Centre – 0118 975 9660
Inspire Dental Practice – 0118 957 4516
Bespoke/Gentle Dental, Tilehurst – 0118 945 2900 / 5555
West Berkshire:
Baldev's Dental Care, Newbury – 01635 49999
Newbury Dental Practice – 01635 31624
Dental Partners Thatcham – 01635 863644
Community dental services
This service is for children and people who can't access regular dental care due to:
Disabilities, phobias, special needs, language barriers, or clinical issues.
Care may be provided in hospitals, clinics, mobile units, or via home visits.
Call NHS England on 0300 311 2233 to learn more and to book an appointment with a community dentist.
For more information on local dentistry, please visit the organisation that commissions local health services, BOB ICB's website: Dentists | BOB ICB
What is Healthwatch Wokingham Borough doing about dentistry locally?
We:
Monitor dental access across Wokingham Borough
Work with NHS England – South East Dental and BOB ICB (your local NHS decision-makers)
Collect and share resident feedback anonymously to push for improvements
Share your anonymous feedback and experience with Healthwatch England to be used as evidence to help push for change at Government level
In 2024, we published a report focusing on learning disabilities and dentistry. Our report and recommendations can be found, here.
Your feedback helps us advocate for better services—locally and nationally.
What is Healthwatch England doing?
Our national body, Healthwatch England:
Has campaigned for NHS dental reform for years
Presented evidence to the Government to help make national change
Polled public views on NHS dentistry —the first of its kind. More details can be found here
Sharing recommendations to the Government based on feedback from local Healthwatch groups like ours and their recent poll in 2024.
Your feedback directly shapes national policy.
Help us - share your views on local dentistry!
Have your voice heard and help to improve local services!
Tell us what you think about local dental services (good or bad) or if you are unable to get the treatment that you need:
Call: 0118 418 1418
Online: click here to complete a short online form.
