Dental support for additional needs

Steps to book an appointment: 

1. to find your nearest dentist visit: NHS: Find a dentist (opens new window)
2. you can visit, call or email to register and book and appointment

Each surgery will have slightly different ways of seeing patients. Some will need you to call them to make an appointment, but others might use their website or even mobile phones. The best place to start is by going in to your local surgery and talking to a receptionist about who you are and what you need.

Dentists are a universal service, which means they are here to support everyone. It is a good idea to try and register with one close to home.

The Community Dental Service accepts referrals from dentists, doctors, health care professionals, voluntary organisations, community groups and educational professionals for children, who, because of their additional needs, are not able to access dental care via a high street dentist. 

When a new patient referral is accepted, we will offer an assessment appointment with one of our dentists, who will complete a full dental assessment, taking into account the reasonable adjustments a child might need in the dental environment to determine if the criteria for acceptance to the Community Dental Service are met. Once accepted into the Service, we can offer support to maintain oral health, and comprehensive dental care, with the option of sedation and general anaesthetic if indicated.

For service information visit:

Special Care Dental Service: gwh.nhs.uk

Our referral forms can be found using the link below:

NHS England: South West » Dental referral guidance and forms

You can see a dentist on your own, or bring someone with you.

They will look at your teeth and mouth and explain what they are doing and why.  They will decide whether you need any further treatment and give you advice on improving your dental health.

When you go to an appointment at the dentist, a dentist should:

• carry out a thorough examination of your mouth, teeth and gums
• talk to you about how you brush your teeth and take care of your mouth, and how you can do this better
• explain your treatment options, tell you what treatment you can have under the NHS, and what other work can be done privately if you need any
• make sure you know how much your NHS treatment and any private treatment will cost
• discuss how often you need to got for a dental check-up
• listen to you and your family members and understand your needs

Dentists work with people of all ages. This means you will not need to change your dentist when you turn 18. You might need to start paying for treatments when you turn 18, depending on your circumstances.

For information about this, talk to your dentist.