Who can we treat under the Public Dental Service?
The Public Dental Service’s treatment role is now focused on:
- providing treatment to patients with special care requirements.
- the provision of dental services that are not routinely available in general dental practice (such as dental treatment under general anesthetic for children and adults with special needs).
- accepting referrals of patients (special care adults, vulnerable children and children with behavioural management problems) from independent contractor general dental practitioners andv other Health Care Professionals.
- accepting referrals of patients with complex medical needs that cannot be treated in general dental practice.
- accepting referrals of anxious children and severely anxious adults for dental treatment under sedation.
- the provision of care for socially excluded groups such as prisoners, and those who are unable to leave their home.
The other main roles for the Public Dental Service continue to be prevention, epidemiology and teaching.
While the vast majority of referrals are perfectly acceptable, the more information we can have about a patient before we see them, the better able we are to help them.
Patient Charges
The Public Dental Service has to charge patients for the dental treatment provided (unless the patient is exempt from charges) and work under the same rules and regulations as independent contractor general dental practitioners. Patient charges must be collected unless the patient is exempt.
Normal charging arrangements will apply when a PDS dentist provides general dental services. Patients are required to pay 80% of the cost of their NHS dental treatment up to a set maximum per course of treatment (currently £384), unless they are in one of the groups entitled to free NHS dental treatment or help with the cost of dental treatment.
Contact the Public Dental Service
The Dental Office, Glendoe Building, Coathill Hospital, Hospital Street, Coatbridge ML5 4DN
Telephone: 01236 707711
Lead Clinician: Michael Devine,
Director of Public Dental Services,
NHS Lanarkshire.
Review Date: January 2016