Community specialist dental service

We are a referral-only service, which means that a healthcare professional (your family dentist, GP or health visitor) or other social care professional will need to refer you to us for assessment. If your referral is accepted, an appointment letter will be sent to you. Further appointments (if required) will then be booked directly with your clinic. The referring dentist is still responsible for any urgent dental care, preventative care and routine dental check-ups, unless directed by our service. The majority of referred patients will be seen by us and then returned back to their dentist for continuing dental care.

Our service is commissioned to provide dental care to individuals living within the county boundaries of County Durham and Darlington. The patient's home postcode must be within this geographical area and checked prior to referral.

Unfortunately, self-referrals are not accepted.

If you are a general dental practitioner or other health care professional and wish to make a referral, you can find more information, including the relevant referral forms below.  

If you are a general dental practitioner or other health or social care professional and wish to make a referral – please download and complete the Community Dental Referral form, and email it to: cddft.communitydental@nhs.net.

Our referral forms must be fully completed with as much detail as possible to aid appropriate triage. Failure to complete the referral form fully may lead to rejection of the referral or delay in patient treatment.

Radiographs

High quality radiographs should be provided for all referrals. If radiographs are not included it must be indicated why they have not been provided. Original film radiographs should be sent with the referral letter and digital radiographs should be sent on CD with the referral letter or emailed to our secure email address: cddft.communitydental@nhs.net with the patient's full name and date of birth.

Printed radiographs will only be accepted if they are of a high quality and diagnostic. Radiographs should be less than 12 months old and all non-digital films will be returned to the referring practitioners once treatment is complete.

Where to send referrals?

Referrals should be emailed to our secure email address: cddft.communitydental@nhs.net where it will be triaged by an appropriate member of the team. Please ensure that the referral is sent to the clinic address which is closest to the patient's place of residence. Patients should be advised that the clinic to which the referral is sent may not always be where treatment will be provided. If you are unsure where to send the referral please contact one of our clinics for advice.

Our oral health promotion lead, supported by oral health advisors, offer free training sessions for health, social care and education professionals, including practical on-site training to support carers of adults and children with additional needs. We have a county wide remit and can offer information to health care professionals running support groups about the range of dental services available, including: 

• Referral routes
• Keeping mouths healthy and making dental visits easier
• Advice on specific problems
• Managing behaviours that challenge while carrying out mouth care
• Guidance on making healthy food choices.

You can contact our Oral Health Promotion Office at Chester le Street Community Hospital, Front Street, Chester le Street, DH3 3AT

Telephone: 0191 3876504
Email: cdda-tr.oralhealthpromotion@nhs.net 

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It is very common for people of all ages to be a little nervous about having dental treatment. Inhalation sedation, also known as 'happy air', is one of the simplest ways to make the whole process as easy and comfortable as possible.

Inhalation sedation is a light form of sedation. It is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen breathed through a nosepiece. This helps you to feel relaxed and accept dental treatment. Local anaesthetic (injection in the gum) may still be used depending on the treatment needed.

During inhalation sedation you will be aware of the surroundings and able to talk, but it will make you feel more relaxed. Inhalation sedation is not a general anaesthetic and it does not make you go to sleep. The advantages include:

• It is a very safe form of sedation with few side effects
• Recovery from the procedure is quick
• It will help to make you feel relaxed
• Both children and adults can have inhalation sedation

How does it make you feel?

• Relaxed
• Pleasantly light headed or floating feeling
• Slightly drowsy but not asleep
• Slightly warm
• Tingling in the feet and hands
• How quickly does it work?

Inhalation sedation takes a few minutes to become effective and also a few minutes to recover from. At the end of the procedure you will feel back to normal and alert.

The dentist has three ways to be able to carry out dental treatment:

• The first method is to have dental treatment sitting in a dental chair with the aid of a local anaesthetic (injection in gum). This method is usually the easiest and safest way to have treatment.
• The next option for treatment is sedation. One type of sedation is carried out using a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide breathed in through a nose piece.  This helps make you feel relaxed, but a local anaesthetic may still be used depending on the treatment needed.
• The last option is to carry out treatment under a general anaesthetic.  A general anaesthetic carries a greater risk of side effects than either of the previous options and is normally only offered if dental treatment is unable to be carried out with the first two options.

Our service offers patients treatment with general anaesthetic at three of our local hospitals - Bishop Auckland Hospital, Darlington Memorial Hospital and University of North Durham Hospital. The anaesthetic is administered by a Consultant Anaesthetist.

If you are placed on a general anaesthetic waiting list you will receive an appointment in the post asking you to attend one of the three hospitals. The letter will have information on when and where the procedure will take place, starving instructions, as well as who should attend the appointment with the patient.  Transport to and from the hospital is very important to have arranged prior to the appointment.

On the day of your anaesthetic you will be greeted and looked after on the ward by the nursing staff. The staff will ask questions about your health and if you are taking any medication, then take weight and height measurements. This is information that is required for the Anaesthetist to help when you go to sleep. You will also see the Anaesthetist and the dentist who will be carrying out the treatment on that day.

After the dental treatment is completed you will go into a recovery room. When you wake up, the nursing staff will look after you before you go back to the ward. When you are back on the ward you will rest. When the ward staff are happy that you are rested and steady on your feet, they will let you go home with your family or a responsible adult to look after you and take you home. You must travel home by car or taxi. Before you leave you will be given instructions on how to look after your mouth.

Standard NHS charges apply. If you currently pay for dental treatment you will still have to do so if you are referred to our service. For advice on receiving help with the cost of your treatment, you can either ask for a 'help with health costs' leaflet from one of our clinics or visit the NHS Choices website.  If you are exempt from NHS dental charges, you will need to bring proof of exemption with you to your first appointment. 

Our dental service is commissioned to also work on behalf of Public Health England (PHE). PHE was established as an executive agency of the Department of Health on 1 April 2013 to protect and improve the nation's health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.

Our staff receive training to enable them to go out and collect information about oral health from the public. This data may be collected at various different sites including: schools, nursing homes and dental practices. The collected data is submitted for analysis to Public Health England, who use the information to try to ensure that adequate provision of dental services are provided in our area for all ages.

Recent dental public health epidemiology programmes/surveys that have been completed by the service are as follows:

• Oral health survey of adults attending general dental practices, 2017 - 2018: to be published in March 2019
• Oral health survey of five year old children, 2016 - 2017: published
• Oral health survey of older people, 2015- 2016: published

More information and results can be found via the related links:

• Oral health survey of 5-year-old children 2017
• Oral Health of Older People in England and Wales
• Oral Health Survey of 5 Year Old Children 2019
• Oral Health Survey of 3 Year Old children 2020