Lack of information leads to gaps in dental services for disabled children

Families with disabled children are being let down by a lack of information about dental services, according to a new report from
national charity Contact a Family. Without the right information, many families are struggling to access suitable treatment for their disabled
child.

Published today, the report, Open Wide?, found that the main information providers, such as primary care trusts and NHS Direct, were unable to
give families correct information for Salaried Primary Dental Care Services (also known as the Community Dental Service). As a result, many
were forced to do their own detective work to track down the best treatment options for their child.

Once families were able to access care, though, most were happy with the treatment their child received.

Jill Harrison, Director of External Affairs for Contact a Family and author of the report, said:

"Given the bad press which often surrounds access to NHS dentistry, we were surprised and pleased that 60% of respondents were happy with the
treatment their child received, with 35% saying they were very satisfied."

For many families with disabled children, accessing care at high street dental practices is simply not feasible, due to the requirement of
specially adapted dental chairs and other equipment. Families seeking an NHS dentist to treat their disabled child therefore turn to the Salaried
Primary Dental Care Service, but worryingly vacancy rates in the SPDCS are running at up to 20% in many areas - leading to a patchy service for
many disabled children. 

Harrison added:

"Although the families we spoke to were largely satisfied with the treatment their child had received, many had experienced difficulty in
finding out what services were available and where. There are also significant problems with funding of the Salaried Primary Dental Care
Service, leading to severe recruitment and retention problems. Serious investment is urgently needed if it is not to be completely overwhelmed."

Contact a Family's report highlights the need for disability awareness training for all dental care professionals.

"Although many families are extremely satisfied with the service they have received, a significant minority experience problems accessing the
treatment they need," said Harrison. 

"We'd like to see all practices become more accessible to disabled children - both physically, and by ensuring all dentists have the skills to treat them."

The report also calls for special care dentistry to be elevated to specialist status with the General Dental Council in order to create a
skilled workforce with a specialist training pathway, while extra resources would enable higher salaries and the ability to employ more
staff. This move is backed by the British Dental Association and the British Society for Disability and Oral Health.

Information on finding a suitable dentist is also a major issue, with 32% of respondents reporting difficulties.  The report outlines how
searches on www.nhs.uk, as well as local PCT websites, yielded patchy results, whilst high street dentists who provided special needs
dentistry failed to provide exact details.  Better information from all these sources is needed, backed up by information from the voluntary
sector and support groups.

It is particularly important for children with disabilities to see a dentist regularly, as they cannot always articulate problems, and taking
regular medication in a sugar solution can be a cause of decay.  In addition, dental complications in children with compromised immune
systems can be fatal.

Free summaries of the report are available from Contact a Family's helpline on 0808 808 3555, email helpline@cafamily.org.uk. 

To order a printed copy at £5, telephone 020 7608 8700.