DENTAL patients in Dorset are being urged to contact their usual practice in event of an emergency.
Throughout the festive period, the advice is in place amid rising pressures on hospital service.
A statement from Dorset County Hospital NHS Trust said: "If you need urgent dental treatment over the festive period, contact your usual dentist. If you can't, or don't have one, use NHS 111 online.
"If an urgent appointment is needed, you will be provided with details of your local out-of-hours service." The trust added.
People are being advised to contact 999 only in the case of a genuine emergency.
Recent data shows that calls to NHS' 111 were up 60% earlier in December, which bar the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic is the largest number of calls to the number on record.
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