Hello - can I ask if anyone on here has used the Community Dental Service?
My young adult son hasn’t been to the dentist since the Pandemic started in 2020 - firstly due to the pandemic and then because he was so anxious about going after such a long time of not going. He has recently got toothache and after some persuasion he allowed me to phone to make an appointment - and the receptionist told me my son hasn’t been de-registered as he didn’t come in for such a long time. Apparently they are allowed to do this. The dentist tells me they contacted us to warn us but I don’t remember ever receiving a letter about this. Anyway - I think I just have to accept it ultimately as there’s nothing I can do it seems.
i can’t find an nhs dentist that will accept new patients for my son in our area. So I’ve had to book a private appointment as what other choice do we have? It’s scarily expensive - we can maybe stretch to paying for one filling - but if he needs several what on earth can we do? I phoned nhs England and they mentioned the Community Dental Service - but when I phoned them they said I’d need a referral - and they gave me the impression it was unlikely I’d get one for my son. They said they have long waiting lists.
i don’t really understand it. I don’t know what to do. My son hasn’t a terrible diet as he has very restricted tastes and loves sweet food and smoothies - all the things that are terrible for his teeth, and he hates cleaning his teeth and will only do them at night - so only once a day, and we need to help him or he wouldn’t do them at all. So I’m guessing that tooth problems are going to be a lifelong issue for him possibly.
Does anyone have any advice to offer? I feel very worried about the whole thing - and I wondered if the Community Dental Service is something other autistic people use? And how they’ve found it, and how they got a referral?
Help!
