There are only nine dental offices in Slovenia.

In Slovenia, only nine dental emergency clinics operate during weekends, holidays, and evenings. One of these is located in Maribor, offering services until 1 PM. However, patients experiencing severe tooth pain at night face limited options for immediate care. The Ministry of Health acknowledges that access to emergency dental treatment after hours can be restricted, particularly in areas far from these clinics. The current system provides organized emergency dental care during specific times on weekends and holidays. Nine locations across the country offer this service, with operating hours ranging from 8 AM to 1 PM in Maribor, Ljubljana, Celje, and Kranj, and from 8 AM to 12 PM in Koper, Slovenj Gradec, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, and Novo Mesto. Patients who experience sudden dental emergencies in the afternoon, evening, or overnight have few alternatives. Parliamentarians raised concerns about the limitations of the existing system through a parliamentary question. In response, the Ministry of Health explained that while the current setup allows for organized handling of urgent dental issues within set hours, there are clear limitations. Access to care after the end of shifts, particularly in the afternoon, evening, and night, is often constrained. Additionally, residents living far from one of the nine clinics may find it difficult to access timely assistance. The Ministry admitted it lacks sufficient data to determine whether emergency dental care is equally accessible to all residents of Slovenia. Comprehensive national analyses showing how long or how far residents in different parts of the country must travel to reach the nearest emergency dental clinic have yet to be conducted. Emergency dental care is primarily intended for situations where delay could result in serious or irreversible health deterioration. This includes injuries, heavy bleeding, infections, and severe, persistent pain in the mouth or teeth. Decisions regarding whether the current network is adequate should consider factors beyond just the number of clinics, including patient numbers, travel times, types of emergencies, staffing capabilities, and available resources outside of shift hours. Before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Ljubljana had a nighttime dental emergency clinic operational between 9 PM and 4 AM. In 2019, the last year before its closure, the clinic recorded 3,972 visits, averaging around ten patients per night. However, the Ministry noted that visit numbers alone do not indicate how many patients actually required urgent medical attention versus those whose treatment could have been delayed until the next working day. A comprehensive analysis of where patients turned after the clinic closed has not been carried out. Whether more emergency dental clinics will be added remains uncertain. The Ministry stated that making commitments to expand the network before acquiring more detailed data would be premature. A full assessment of the personnel and financial requirements needed to establish a regional or continuous emergency dental service has not yet been prepared. The Ministry plans to address the issue of accessibility alongside funding, staffing capacity, and the organization of primary-level dental care networks. For now, the arrangement remains such that Maribor is one of only nine locations in Slovenia offering emergency dental care on non-working days, with assistance available only during morning hours.