Information for patients about student dental care

Undergraduate treatment

Information about our free dental care scheme by undergraduate students is below. The waiting list for dental care by undergraduate students is currently open. 

• Can I have treatment?

  If you would like free dental treatment by students-in-training, you:

  • must book an appointment during term times, Monday-Thursday beginning at 9:30am or 1:30pm and Fridays 9:30am or 2:00pm. Each appointment is likely to take 3-4 hours and you may require multiple appointments

  • must be able to come to all your appointments. If you are unable to come to an appointment, an alternative date may not be offered as students have a limited time to complete their treatments
  • if you meet these criteria, you will be given an initial appointment for an examination. This will assess whether you can be treated by students. It is not a consultation for treatment options.

  If you are suitable you will have your treatment planned and will be allocated to a student.

  If your dental needs are not suitable for student treatment, you will need to find a local NHS dentist. Find a local NHS dentist near you.

• Types of treatments students can provide

  You may be eligible for treatment if you need:

  • routine fillings
  • simple gum treatment
  • limited crowns
  • dentures
  • root canal fillings.

  This service is not suitable if you need multiple crowns and  bridges, dental implants, treatment for complex gum problems or re-treatment of root fillings.

• Is treatment by a student different?

  Students work slowly so your appointment will take longer and you may need several appointments. However, all students' work is checked at relevant stages, so you can be sure that you are receiving a good standard of care.

• How can I get an appointment?

  The waiting list for dental care by undergraduate students is currently open. Please download the referral form (Word 53Kb) and send it back to the address at the top of the form.

  Please ensure you have read all the information in our leaflet (PDF 217Kb) before filling in the form.

• Information for your first appointment

  Please complete the:

  • patient registration questionnaire (Word 187Kb)
  • adult medical history form (Word 175Kb)
  • children's medical history form (PDF 250Kb).

Acute dental care

The adult dental emergency walk-in clinic is located on 23rd floor, Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital and opens at 8am Monday-Friday. This clinic is for emergency dental care only and is usually at full capacity by 9am.

The orthodontic emergency walk-in clinic is located in the postgraduate centre on the 22nd floor, Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital and is open between 9am-11am Monday-Friday. This clinic is only available for patients who have had their appliance fitted at Guy’s Dental Hospital.

The children’s dental emergency walk-in clinic is located in the Dental Centre at St Thomas’ Hospital and is open between 9am-11am Monday-Friday.