East Sussex Emergency Dental Service

Fantastic experience: Had tooth out 15/10/25. All staff was helpful and nice. Dentist and assistant made me feel at ease.

Negative experience: I'm still waiting 2hrs 5 mins in as caller number 2

Negative experience: Clinic shut on a Sunday!

Negative experience: After calling 111 at 7am on Sunday morning, as my partner is in a lot of pain with a probable dental Infection, was told to call this dentist at 9am as they are the emergency dentist for East Sussex today. Called and was number 9 in the queue, waited 1 hour 20 minutes, finally got through only to be told there is no emergency dentist available in Hastings or Eastbourne today due to staff shortages, and A&E won’t prescribe antibiotics for dental infections unless swelling and trouble breathing. It’s very concerning that 111 haven’t been told this service is not an available and are referring people. And it’s very concerning that there is not a single NHS emergency dentist available in the whole of East Sussex on a Sunday- especially as Conquest does not have a dental unit. I will be writing to my MP.

Negative experience: Waited for nearly 90mins as number 1 in queue. What are the receptionists doing exactly? People wonder why NHS going through the roof hmm I wonder?

Negative experience: Waited nearly 4 hours on the phone no one picked up, I was caller number 1 for 2hrs

Fantastic experience: After patiently waiting on the Phone . I found I was caller number three, I attended the Emergency Dentist in Eastbourne with hubby. Hubs was poorly with an infected tooth. He's terrified of dentists. Everyone was so lovely. Dental Nurse Venere was brilliant a putting hubs at ease and making him laugh.. Hubs bravely had the tooth out after taking to the dentist and dental nurse. An absolutely fabulous team. xx

Fantastic experience: Super dentist and dental nurse when I took my very anxious daughter to Hastings 02.09.24. The dentist stayed really calm, patient and clearly explained everything. Thank you for making what could have been a horrendous experience for her, the best it could’ve been.

Fantastic experience: Amazing dentist and nurse tonight, after having a fear of dentists they really took that into account and made the experience pain free and helped me to relax.

Negative experience: Id give it a 0 if i could. I left this dentist because they were so rude criticised my appearance and how I dress (far from their job). And when I had an emergency had to wait over an hour to be told the dentist isn't in. Then they deride and talk down to me for my previous dentist shutting down. Clearly the wrong place shut down.

Negative experience: Phoned these up was second on call line only to be told go see nhs dentist and pay 3 times as much won't bother next time don't bother calling useless people got no idea receptionist should be sacked no idea

Fantastic experience: I went into hastings as an emergency. Extremely nervous with dentist. Normally I have to have sedation extraction but made to feel comfortable & eased. Literally the best experience with such a traumatic thing for me! Injections were gentle & took time to ensure I was ok. Once done I nearly fainted but luckily they still looked after me. Guess the fear & pain took over me (all in my head)but the relief so so much greater than I ever imagined. Highly recommended well done for finally getting rid of my fear of dentists

Negative experience: Wouldn't reccomend. Waited over 40 mins 1st in line to be told there's no dentist today, I need EMERGENCY dental work. Joke of a service. Receptionist also put the phone on the desk for 10 mins whilst I was on the phone. So rude and unprofessional.

Negative experience: Its a joke I called on Saturday because I have a bad toothache they are supposed to be open between 9am and 1.30 pm at weekends no body answered all I got was a recorded message its a total disgrace my sister had the same experience with them.

Fantastic experience: Went today due to being in severe pain ,could not be happier with how I was treated by all the staff ,from the lady on Reception and the dentist and dental nurse . Needed a tooth extraction. The whole process from walking and walking back out took no more than 20 mins . Thank you all

Negative experience: About as much use as a chocolate tea pot get through after 2 days to be told they can't do nothing as there under staffed call back tommorow

Fantastic experience: I went for an emergency extraction 01/05/23 bank holiday. Couldn't be happier with this service . In and out in 25 minutes all done . Can't thank this dentist enough .

Negative experience: so frustrating!! everywhere i check, it says the practice opens at 6:30pm on weekdays. today is a friday and i’ve been calling since 6:30 to try get an emergency appointment but am repeatedly faced with the automated service saying it is closed. no explanation as to why or when they will open next. actually ridiculous and poor for an EMERGENCY service

Negative experience: One lady was helpful outher was rude and was no help she was moody and grumpy Souldent be working somewhere on phone talking to people

Negative experience: What is the point in this place having opening times when your in agonising pain with toothache you call multiple times from 6.30pm -7.00pm onwards to get an autimated message saying there closed

Fantastic experience: I couldn't have been taken care of any better, wonderful Receptionist, the Dentist and his assistant were fun which relaxed me no end. Fantastic to be out of pain, thank you all very much.

Negative experience: Sadly failed to assist with an agonising tooth abscess. Promised to return call with prescription but didn't. I ended up in Aand E, where a doctor eventually prescribed antibiotics. An awful experience and sad testament to a service which should have helped but failed.

Negative experience: Disgrace the reseptionsist basically said you won't get NHS now as we won't paying to taking your tooth out and your looking at 300! Iv had a brain opp and shouldn't be in this sort of pain anyway!!!!

Negative experience: Was on the phone for 1hrs 20 mins (even though I was only 5th in the queue) just to be told there was no clinic tonight due to staff shortages. Did it take 1 hrs 20 to tell 4 other people that there was no clinic? Why wasnt there a recorded answer machine message telling people this info. The organisation is a joke. You're wasting my time. ! I went initially to have a tooth extracted but was told that I had an infection so was given anti-biotics. When I called back to have the tooth extracted after I had finished the course of meds, only to have the above happen...but also be told they wouldnt extract the tooth. Their job ended at giving me antibiotics. So now I still have a rotten tooth to be extracted and feels like the infection is coming back...so what was the bloody point??? Useless service

Fantastic experience: I couldn’t thank this place enough. I was having real problems with my wisdom teeth causing me to continuously bite my cheek between them which was making a hole in my cheek and it was so sore that I couldn’t eat or sleep. My own dentist was useless and said I need it removed but would have to wait 2 months! I called these guys up as I was in so much pain and couldn’t wait that long. They gave me an appointment that same night and I had it removed straight away after them looking at it and doing an X-ray which gave me instant relief.

Negative experience: Waited on phone for about 20 mins while I've got a raging toothache which thr pain is moving to my jaw and ear which is causing a lot of discomfort just to get told that I wont get seen as I haven't taken paracetamol as it dosent work for my pains as tried it before then woman keeps telling me to go to pharmacy to ask them what painkillers to take when I already said to her that my doctor already told me to stop taking painkillers as I'm on antihipnotics and cant take ibuprofen as I've put asthma then she says I'm getting naggy no wonder why bloddy useless this place is.

Fantastic experience: The dentist and Laura was incredible. Made me feel completely at ease. What a fantastic service. So so grateful

Fantastic experience: Cant thank the dentist and dental assistant enough for the treatment I received last night I had to make an emergency appointment. Due to severe tooth pain which had been present for a few days. The extraction went perfectly I felt no discomfort during or after the procedure. And for the first time in a few days Felt totally at ease and relaxed throughout. Thank you c

Negative experience: Sat on the phone for 2 hours in a queue my number didn’t change from 2nd place, in terrible agony with my teeth, Christmas Day ruined and they didn’t even answer the phone to me, Whqt a joke of an emergency service!

Fantastic experience: Telephoned as per website instructions. Receptionist was very calming and after a couple of questions gave me a time to be there. On arrival I saw the receptionist who I spoke to on 'phone and the dental nurse. Filled in the consent form and then went straight in to see the dentist. He was great, felt at ease straight away. I would do it all again without fear. Came away pain free. Many thanks to you all.

Fantastic experience: This service was brilliant. The Dentist,the dental nurse and receptionist were so kind and helpful. The outcome of my visit was a pleasant surprise as my expectation was exceeded. I felt very vulnerable due to an abscess which was very painful and my Dentist has not been very caring and had not listened to my concerns. The offending tooth was taken out and I am now pain free. Thank you so much to the wonderful staff at Arthur Blackman Clinic.

Negative experience: Absolutely useless. Despite being in agony and losing some tooth and temporary filling days after a root canal which had exposed a nerve and it being Friday night so unable to see regular dentist for 3 days. Was simply told that "toothache is not an emergency". Was told to go to ASDA and get some temporary filling. Advised this was not an option due to location of filling and that there was not enough tooth for it to cling to. The lady was not interested. Does someone being left in agony for days with potential for mouth to become infected not count as an emergency? Ridiculous!

Fantastic experience: Excellent service by caring knowledgable professionals. So pleasant and friendly, nothing too much trouble.We are lucky to have this service and the people who run it available. Thankyou so much everyone. KJ

Fantastic experience: An absolute credit to the NHS! I was squeezed in between appointments with a nasty abscess on Saturday Bank Holiday weekend. The whole experience was faultless, from the lady who took my call to the dentist and nurse who were just lovely and made me feel at ease, when I was terrified. It is professionals like this that should make us very proud of our NHS service.

Negative experience: The actual service may be good for all I know, but it is supposed to be an emergency service and actually getting to be seen seems to be an annoying problem. I phoned at 18.30 in order to get an appointment, what I judged to be the earliest time possible and immediately found myself 12th in a queue. If I had known then that they only treat 10 patients each evening (mentioned in another review), I could have given up then. It took one hour 20+ minutes to get to the front of the queue. There then followed 5 minutes + of questions and writing down my details, only at the end of this to be told that they had already filled up their clinic for the evening so I could not get treatment. Why is this annoying? The telephonist took an average of 7+ minutes with each call before me and, judging by what she said to me, she should have been able to wrap up each call in less than 4 minutes. As it was, anybody who was after 10 in the queue could have received a recorded message advising that the clinic was full for the evening and inviting the caller to leave contact details in case there was a 'no show' or 'cancellation' among the first 10 lucky callers. That way we wouldn't have had to listen to their pain-inducing canned music for almost 90 minutes! But is this really an 'emergency service? I think not.

Fantastic experience: Really great team working down there, very friendly and professional, Had been in pain for months and they sorted it in half an hour! Reception was a great help too, including one of the times they couldn’t see me, gave great advice via phone to help me until I could land a slot, thanks guys!

Negative experience: Had to wait 1hr and 45mins just to be told that they can only take 10 people a night, so now I have to have another night without sleep thanks to these “emergency dentist” clinics

Negative experience: On the phone an hour got no.2 and got cut off re dial gone back to no.5 as my left face is all swollen up in pain.

Negative experience: RUDE RECEPTIONIST!!!

Fantastic experience: I had a real problem the tooth ? These people really looked after me and were brilliant and yes so friendly all done now all ok thank you very much

Fantastic experience: So friendly and better than your own dentist

Fantastic experience: Amazing the lady dentist was absolutely fantastic so caring and reasuring much better than own dentist would much rather see her all the time thank you!

Fantastic experience: I had two back teeth extracted at the clinic and the dentist (of Indian descent) and his assistant were truly excellent. I was taken through the process, including the X-ray, and the whole event went absolutely smoothly. The reception staff were very welcoming and efficient too.