Specialist Dental Services - Adult

There are many  reasons why someone might not be able to leave their home. It's best to talk to us about your situation so we can work out if you meet the criteria. Typically, this service is offered to an individual that is unable to get to their dental practice because of a disability or medical condition. Before a domiciliary visit, patients will have a remote consultation appointment with a member of the dental team to confirm if a home visit is suitable. You will also be assessed on a home visit to see if it may be best to arrange for you to be seen in one of our clinics for further assessment or treatment.   

• Patients who can leave their house/care setting to access appointments in a taxi / ambulance / car.
• Patients who leave their house to access services including hairdresser / GP / shopping.
• Patients who can go to clinics via non-emergency patient transport

Treating patients in their home or care setting can be very challenging for the dental team. They do not have access to all their normal equipment or a dental chair. Only minimal treatment is possible at home such as a dental check-up, smoothing teeth, fluoride application, temporary fillings, and very occasionally a tooth extraction.

We may suggest coming into the clinic for a certain treatment as this may be considered the safest setting. We cannot take X rays or impressions for denture work on a domiciliary visit and patients may need to come to a clinic to have these taken.

Sometimes, if a patient is bedbound, they may need to be referred into a hospital setting for a stretcher transfer to receive the treatment needed. However, the first assessment can take place at home.

A dental nurse will come with the dentist, there may be more clinicians attending as we do train staff in domiciliary care. We may bring a trolley with all our equipment as well as emergency medicines and oxygen. The patient who is having an assessment or treatment should have a private place to do this, to maintain dignity and privacy.

There also needs to be a clean table area to act as a base for the examination kit and access to running water. The dentist and dental nurse attending will be wearing blue surgical scrubs and have NHS ID badges. They will need a clean space to put on their personal protective equipment (PPE) which usually consists of gloves, surgical mask and visor.

They will also need to shine a torch to get a good view inside the mouth. The dentist will let the patient, and if needed carers or family present, know what they see and will make a treatment plan. They will also need an updated Medical History document with a current list of medication.

Please make sure any pets are kept in a different room for the visit.

Standard NHS dental charges apply. Some patients will be exempt from paying.

Please visit this NHS website page for more details and a list of exemptions - How much NHS dental treatment costs

The NHFT Dental Department is a referral-only service that provides a wide range of dental treatments including Special Care Dentistry, Oral Surgery, Paediatric Dentistry and Oral Health Promotion.

We provide support and dental care for children and adults who are unable to access dental treatment in general dental practice due to significant medical problems, learning disabilities, complex mental health problems, physical disabilities or other issues.

If you are registered with a dentist, please contact them immediately as they will be able to help you.

If you are not registered with a dentist, contact your local Urgent Dental Centres:

• Bupa, Cottingham Road (Corby) - 01536 401925
• Bupa, Billing Road (Northampton)- 01604 639296
• Bupa, Mannock Medical Centre (Wellingborough) - 01933224462

For out-of-hours, contact 111

• Dental and gum infections. Please inform your dentist or call handler if you have a high temperature, problems opening your mouth or medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart problems or a compromised immune system
• Severe toothache that does not go away taking painkillers
• Broken teeth where the nerve is exposed
• Bleeding following a tooth extraction
• Trauma in your jaw bone, face or that may have caused your tooth to fall out. Be aware that according to the severity, you might need to go to A&E.

The following problems do not require you to immediately see a dentist: 

• toothache that goes away with painkillers, small tooth fractures, 
• loose or displaced crowns or bridges
• fractured or loose dentures 
• broken fillings
• bleeding gums

However, you should still get in touch with your dentist or contact your local urgent dental care services as they will be able to give you further advice.

Visit the following website: www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist. You will need to contact the dental practice directly and check whether they are currently accepting NHS patients.

• Emergency dental treatment- £25.80 This covers emergency care in a primary care NHS dental practice such as pain relief or a temporary filling.
• Band 1 course of treatment - £25.80 This covers an examination, diagnosis (including X-rays), advice on how to prevent future problems, a scale and polish if clinically needed and preventative care such as the application of fluoride varnish or fissure sealant if appropriate.
• Band 2 course of treatment- £70.80 This covers everything listed in Band 1 above, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or removal of teeth but not more complex items covered by Band 3.
• Band 3 course of treatment- £306.80 This covers everything listed in Bands 1 and 2 above, plus crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work.

For further information, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-much-will-i-pay-for-nhs-dental-treatment/ 

Your dentist will advise you on the frequency of your dental check-ups depending on your individual risk to dental disease; this might go from a minimum of 3 monthly visits to every 2 years.

Regardless of the frequency, check-ups are important for your dentist to check your mouth for tooth decay, gum disease or mouth cancer.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/take-care-of-your-teeth-and-gums/