Can You See the Dentist with a Cold Sore?

Cold sores are common and caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV‑1). They appear as small, fluid-filled blisters around your lips or mouth. If you have a cold sore, you may wonder whether it’s safe to attend your dental appointment. At Larkham House Dental Practice, we prioritise both your health and the safety of our team — here’s what you need to know.

Understanding Cold Sores

Cold sores usually start with a tingling or burning sensation, followed by the appearance of a blister. The blister can burst, scab over, and eventually heal. This process is contagious, particularly in the early stages when the sore is open or weeping.

Key Facts:

Highly contagious in the first 2–3 days.
Can spread to other parts of the face or to other people.
Can interfere with dental procedures if active.

When to Postpone Your Dental Appointment

If your cold sore is fresh, open, or actively weeping, we recommend rescheduling routine appointments. Visiting the dentist during this stage increases the risk of:

Spreading the virus to our staff or other patients
Complicating your dental treatment
Accidentally transferring the virus to other areas, such as your eyes

Tip: If your dental visit is non-urgent, waiting until your cold sore has healed ensures a safer experience for everyone.

When It’s Safe to Attend

You may still attend your appointment if:

The cold sore is in the early tingling phase or just a dry scab
You have urgent dental issues such as pain, swelling, or a broken tooth

In these cases, call us before your visit. We’ll perform a risk assessment and take extra precautions to protect you, our staff, and other patients.

Steps to Take Before Your Appointment

Call the practice as soon as you notice a cold sore.

Avoid touching the sore and wash your hands thoroughly if you do.

Discuss urgent needs so we can prioritise treatment safely.

Follow our guidance for rescheduling or extra precautions if needed.

Why Larkham House Dental Practice Takes Cold Sores Seriously

Dental treatments involve your mouth and lips, so we must be extra careful. Rescheduling appointments when cold sores are active protects:

You – preventing discomfort and complications
Our team – reducing exposure to the virus
Other patients – limiting the risk of contagion

We appreciate your understanding and commitment to safety.

Book Your Appointment Safely

If you’re unsure whether to keep or reschedule your dental visit because of a cold sore, call Larkham House Dental Practice. We’ll guide you on the safest options and ensure your treatment proceeds comfortably when the time is right.

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What do they say about Larkham House?

“Working with this team is always seamless and enjoyable—top marks all around”

SSD Group

“Thank to the dentist, dental nurse and reception staff for their care and friendliness on our last visit. Highly recommend this dental practice.”

Angela

“Great team and excellent service. Always very helpful and honest.”

Claire

“After being referred here by my old dentist for a dental implant. I ended up switching to here. So friendly, great what they do, easy to get an appointment, plenty of parking.”

Thomas

“I highly recommend Larkham House dentistry. As a very anxious person & fear of the dentist, they really look after you. I had Dr V Giddani for few visits what a caring Dentist he...”

MC

“We spent some time yesterday at Larkham House Dental Practice and received 100% treatment and care. The Reception Team, Dentist and Hygienist were excellent and we came away feeling very blessed. We look forward...”

Peter

“Never been disappointed there. Staff is friendly and they actually care. My dentist marko roberta (i think she's called), is so friendly and makes an appointment a breeze. The 2 people in the reception...”

Marco

Laura Johnson

19:36 24 Oct 22

Very friendly staff! I suffer with anxiety and every time I have an appointment the dentist is very patient and goes through everything to make sure I am OK and not too nervous. The dentist nurses, particularly Rachel is amazing! Especially with my children when they come in makes me feel at ease!

Teresa Floyd

08:16 21 Aug 22

Had a referral from Seven Trees as I had severe dental painI am a very nervous patient however the service I received was outstanding from the minute I arrived to the minute I left and no more tooth painThank you so much

Christine Boyle

20:10 07 Apr 22

Had an appointment with Clohe yesterday and I can't praise her enough. So thorough and nothing was too much trouble for her. She was very caring and cosiderat e I felt relaxed and nothing was too much of a problem for her too deal with. My appointment was not rushed .

Adam Davie

19:59 10 Oct 21

From the offset call confirming my appointment this dental practice experience was five star compared to dentist based Midlands . Front desk staff / nurses excellent giving me the reassurance that I was booked in with a great dentist as I personally have a fear of the dentist being in my late 30s . After my review etc with the dentist it was forgone conclusion that a full on extraction was required the dentist himself was unbelievable reassuring excellent service total professionalism which I haven’t come across recently, great team whom care about the patient journey I most certainly didn’t just feel like a number under their care . Thank you to all staff at Larkham House Dental Practice.

Anthony Grave

20:07 12 May 21

Very good

brian rogers

16:08 18 Mar 21

On the 18/3/21 I had 2 extractions From the outset the staff were very friendly helpful and very professional the Dentist was brilliant I never felt hardly any of the extractions I will definitely use a again excellent service thank you...

Can i go to the dentist with a cold sore?

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