Community Dental Service
The service provides specialist dental advice and care for patients with special needs.
Contents
Overview
The community dental service provides specialist dental advice and care for patients with special needs, including preventative care advice and ongoing treatment.
We aim to provide high quality dental care locally for patients with a wide range of individual needs. This includes:
- Individuals who are medically compromised
- Those with mental health issues
- Adults and children with severe learning disabilities or physical disabilities
- Children with behaviour that challenges
- Severe anxiety and phobia
We also carry out oral health promotion and work closely with education, social and other health care professionals.
The service supports people who whose needs cannot be met within the general dental service (e.g. require a hoist or require a general anaesthetic for dental care).
Support available
The service provides preventative care, treatment and advice for patients and families.
We will discuss your / your child's needs with you to understand what support is necessary.
Some of the reasonable adjustments we can make include:
- Additional time
- Communication aids
- Physical aids
- Alternative treatment methods e.g. sedation, general anaesthesia
Who can access the service
The service is available to all age groups and to those unable to access universal dental care
How to access the service
Any health or social care professional can make a referral to the service.
A template referral form is available.
Referrals are triaged by a clinician and an offer letter sent for the patient or their guardian/carer to make an appointment for assessment.