Assessment of public and professional perceptions of access to unscheduled dental care

Introduction Dental symptoms commonly lead the public to use the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) System. Variation in commissioning arrangements and lack of public awareness around accessing unscheduled dental care could result in symptomatic patients presenting to venues of care such as emergency departments. Aim To assess public and professional perception of the degree of urgency, appropriate management and accessibility to unscheduled dental care. Methods A web link to an online questionnaire was sent to a range of professional stakeholders. A second online questionnaire for the public was hosted online. Results A total of 193 professionals and 237 members of the public responded. Overall professionals deemed the following dental conditions most urgent: lost tooth, facial swelling, injury to face or teeth, and uncontrolled bleeding. 'GDP' was the most popular professional choice for who should or could manage all dental conditions, with 159 (82%) considering daytime access to GDPs 'very important'. Most public respondents (215, 91 %) preferred to be seen by their own GDP for dental symptoms, but over half (127, 54%) did not know how to contact out-of-hours services when their usual practice was closed. Public respondents considered they should be seen 'straight away' (emergency) for: lost tooth, facial swelling, injury to face or teeth, uncontrolled bleeding, severe toothache, pain after extraction, and unexplained facial pain. Conclusion A consistent approach to defining urgent and emergency dental conditions; and a commissioning approach that recognises both degree of urgency and social needs, may contribute to increased efficiency within the UEC system.