Highlighting community dentistry: Association visits special care dental service

This was an opportunity to highlight special care and paediatric dentistry to dental group leaders from across the country.

Community Dental Services treats patients with complex needs based on referrals from dentists and other health professionals. Typically, patients have autism or ADHD, learning disabilities, complex mental health issues or severe dental anxiety, meaning treatment in general dental practice can be very difficult. Children with high levels of dental decay are also referred.

Neil Carmichael, ADG chair, and Sandra White, ADG clinical director, visited CDS’s Bedford clinic to hear more about how this patient group are treated.

Helen Paisley, CDS CEO and ADG director, said, “It was a pleasure to host the ADG leadership team and to share the work we do. The ADG are at the forefront of campaigning for improvements to dental access in the UK and it was really good to have the opportunity to talk about our patients and how the current crisis in the sector impacts on them.”