Welcome to Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Dental Service.

Below you will find information about the services we provide, how to access them and who to contact for help if you have a query or need more information.

Our clinical staff are all General Dental Council (GDC) registered and we participate in work-placements for dental core trainees.

What services are available?

Community Dental Service (CDS) appointments are available for patients who are unable to access NHS dental services locally for a single course of treatment, or who require specialist intervention.

Please let us know about any access requirements, such as being a wheelchair or walking-aid user, in your referral. This helps our Referral Management Team book an appointment for you at the clinic most appropriate for your needs.

Our referral criteria and application forms are available at www.kentcht.nhs.uk/dental or you can contact our Referral Management Team on 0330 123 9438 or dentalreferrals@nhs.net.

Not all clinics provide every service, so it may be necessary to refer you to a clinic which is not the closest to where you live. You can find all our clinic locations on our website.

We work in close partnership with high street dental practices. Patients will be assessed at each appointment to make sure care is arranged in the most appropriate setting.

Specialist services

We provide the following specialist dental services:

• treatment for patients with special needs
• treatment for patients with a dental phobia
• periodontal treatment
• inhalational sedation (gas and air)
• intravenous sedation
• general anaesthetic treatment
• home visits
• oral health promotion
• mobile units for community engagement
• prisoner and detainee dentistry
• homeless people dentistry
• dental engineering service
• Children and Adults Talking Therapies (CHATTS).

Making an appointment

Patients who have self-referred or have been referred by a healthcare professional and meet the criteria will be send an appointment by post. If the appointment is not convenient, please contact the clinic directly to re-arrange. If you need an emergency appointment, please see the information further down this page.

Cancellations

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please give us at least 24 hours’ notice so we can offer the appointment to someone else.

Your dental records

Your dental records will remain confidential and secure; however, they may be shared in order to provide you with care and may be used to support clinical audit and other work to monitor the quality of care provided. You can read more about this in our ‘what happens to personal information held about you (LINK).

Your rights and responsibilities

You are entitled to:

• a thorough examination of your mouth, teeth and gums
• a full explanation of your treatment options
• a written treatment plan including costs*
• information about NHS charges displayed in the waiting room
• advice on how to keep your teeth and gums healthy
• information about our practices and the services available
• a care and treatment summary if you decide to transfer to another dentist
• make a complaint if you are not happy with your treatment and/or care.

You are responsible for:

• giving at least 24 hours’ notice if you have to cancel or change an appointment. If you miss two appointments you may need to re-refer
• following your dentist’s advice to prevent tooth decay and gum disease
• paying your bill promptly
• bringing proof of entitlement when claiming help with the cost of NHS treatment. If no proof is shown your eligibility will be checked. Patients found to have incorrectly claimed help with the cost of NHS dental treatment may receive a penalty charge
• treating our staff with courtesy and respect.**

* Please note, if your treatment is a band one course of treatment or you do not have to pay NHS charges, you will have to ask your dentist to provide this.

** Please note, we may refuse to treat patients who are violent, uncooperative or fail to pay their dental bills.

Urgent treatment and out-of-hours care

Urgent treatment means treatment that the dentist considers necessary to relieve severe pain or prevent your oral condition deteriorating before you can make a routine appointment.

If you are not in a current course of treatment and are experiencing pain or swelling, or if you need an urgent appointment, please phone the Dental Helpdesk on 0300 123 4412, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Outside of these hours, please phone Dentaline on 01634 890300.

Dental services are commissioned by NHS England.