Primary, dentistry and emergency care
Dentistry - looking after your children's teeth
Keeping teeth and mouths healthy is a key priority for Swindon, particularly among children.
Having teeth pulled out is the most common reason for children and young people to be admitted to hospital. Swindon has particularly high rates of hospital tooth extractions due to dental decay in its children and young people.
Poor oral health can affect children and young people’s ability to sleep, eat, speak, play and socialise with other children. Other impacts include pain, infections, poor diet, and impaired nutrition and growth.
Good oral health does not only improve the health of your mouth and face, it also contributes to your overall health and well-being. Taking care of your mouth also improves your self-esteem and confidence, giving you the ability to smile, eat and talk without pain.
There are a few simple tips for taking care of your teeth and your children’s teeth.
They include:
- brushing your teeth twice a day. Always last thing at night and one other time during the day.
- brushing your teeth for at least two minutes and flossing regularly
- using fluoride toothpaste, for adults, with at least 1,350ppm fluoride written on the tube. Check the package for this information.
- using fluoride toothpaste, for children less than 3 years old, with 1000ppm of fluoride
- spitting out the toothpaste after brushing your teeth, but not rinsing with water. This will help to keep the fluoride on your teeth for longer.
- reducing the intake of sugary food and drinks and trying to have them only with meals
- choosing healthy snacks inbetween meals, such as fruit, vegetables, plain popcorn, low-fat hummus or cheese
- visiting your dentist regularly
For more information on dentists currently accepting NHS patients in Swindon, you can search NHS find a dentist. Just type your postcode into the search box and this will bring up a list of dentists in your area. You can then choose a practice and contact them direct to register.
Urgent dental concerns
For urgent dental concerns, contact the dental access centres below:
- West Swindon Health Centre, Link Avenue, White Hill Way, Swindon SN5 7BL. Call: 01793 696653
- Dental Access Centre, Chippenham Community Hospital, Rowden Hill, Chippenham SN15 2AJ. Call: 01249 456633
- Swindon NHS Health Centre, 1 Islington Street, Swindon, SN1 2DQ. Call: 01793 607850
- Salisbury, Central Health Clinic, Avon Approach, Salisbury SP1 3SL. Call: 01722 322405
