Dentists and opticians
Find an optician
To find your nearest optician, visit the NHS Choices website or telephone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.
Find a dentist
If you need help finding an NHS dentist:
- Call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at NHS Nottingham City on 0800 183 0456 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (if you live outside of the city’s boundaries but within Nottinghamshire, call 0800 028 3693) or
- go to the NHS Choices website and follow the simple on-screen prompts by putting in your postcode or
- text ‘dentist’ to 64746 from your mobile phone or
- call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or
- visit or phone your local dental practice and ask if they are accepting new patients.
You can also download an information leaflet here:Guide to NHS dental services in England 2009
Out-of-hours dental services
Patients needing urgent NHS dentistry out of normal hours in Nottingham can telephone a dedicated NHS Direct number and speak to a dental nurse. This number is 0845 603 1407 and is available for callers at any time.
Dental charges
You may be eligible for help with all or part of the costs of your NHS dental treatment.
City Smiles
A new drive to make Nottingham’s smiles brighter, City Smiles - Brilliant Smiles, was launched on 2 February 2011.
Just under a half of all five-year-olds in Nottingham have at least one decayed, missing or filled baby tooth, compared to just over a third in England, and 36% of 12 year olds in the city have at least one, compared to a 33% England average. Figures also show that half of under fives in Nottingham have never visited a dentist.