The Salaried Dental Service provides both a Special Care Dental Service and an Urgent Care service through its Dental Access Centres.

Dental Access Centres

The Dental Access Centres are available to anyone who resides in the Devon area, who does not have a regular general dental practitioner (NHS or Private). It is also open to visitors to the area who are unable to reach their own dentist.

The service is not available to people who already have a general dental practitioner in the Devon area.

Appointments are booked for patients through the Access Centres or through Devon Doctors one day ahead. Patients are either given an allotted time or attend on a first come first seen basis.

Although emergency appointments are available this is not a drop-in service . You MUST telephone the service to make an appointment in advance.

• Exeter NHS Dental Access Centre
  Dental Access Centre (open 5 days per week)
  Telephone: 01392 405700
  

• Barnstaple NHS Dental Access Centre
  Dental Access Centre (open 5 days per week)
  Telephone: 01271 324878

• General Dental Helpline
  Open 08:00 -18:00 daily
  Telephone: 0845 002 0034

The Dental Access Centres can offer a limited range of NHS treatment. However, highest priority is given to people who are in pain and to those suffering from bleeding and excessive swelling.

Appointments for routine treatment are restricted by the number of patients requiring more urgent care.

When your treatment is complete you will, unless there are exceptional circumstances, be discharged from the service. We will then advise you how to find your own NHS general dental practitioner.

This service will not register patients.

Normal NHS dental charges will apply for all patients unless you are exempt, (evidence of which must be brought to your appointment).We accept cash, cheque or debit cards at the time of your appointment.

Special Care Service

The Special Care Dental Service is accessed by referral only and provides dental care for people who are unable to obtain dental treatment in a general dental practice either because of their special need or disability.

The service provides dental care for the following groups of patients on a referral only basis:

• People with learning disabilities
• People with autistic spectrum disorders
• People with acquired brain injuries
• People with a diagnosed mental health illness
• People with medical conditions which are affected by poor oral health or where the provision of dental treatment is complicated by that condition
• People with a physical disability that makes accessing the General Dental Service more difficult
• People with a sensory disability that makes accessing the General Dental Service more difficult
• People with a  current substance misuse habit
• Children who are very anxious, uncooperative preschool children or a child with a phobia of dental treatment
• Children with extensive dental disease
• Children with repaired cleft lip or palate
• “Looked after” children or those registered as “At risk”.

A very limited domiciliary service is available for housebound patients from the above groups.

If you are having difficulty obtaining dental treatment from an NHS general dental practitioner and believe you are eligible to be treated by the community dental service you can ask your doctor, dentist or other health care professional to refer you to the service.

Normal NHS dental charges will apply for all patients unless you are exempt, (evidence of which must be brought to your appointment). We accept cash or cheque at all sites, plus debit cards in Exeter and Barnstaple, and will request payment at the time of your appointment.

• Exeter NHS Dental Access Centre
  Community Dental Service (various days per week)
  Appointments by referral
  

• Barnstaple NHS Dental Access Centre
  Community Dental Service (various days per week)
  Appointments by referral
  

• Honiton Dental Clinic
  Community Dental Service (open 1 day per week)
  Appointments by referral
  

• Exmouth Dental Clinic
  Community Dental Service (open 1 day per week)
  Appointments by referral
  

• Tiverton Dental Clinic
  Community Dental Service (open 1 day per week)
  Appointments by referral
  

• Okehampton Dental Clinic
  Community Dental Service (open 1 day per week)
  Appointments by referral

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on this website please contact us using these General Enquiries contact details.