Urgent dental care for Hospital inpatients: A survey of pathways for different oral conditions within Hospitals across England

Background and Aim: Patients in hospitals may experience urgent dental problems during their stay which could range from toothache, to a lost denture, to a sharp tooth affecting their eating. This could potentially impact on their recovery and hospital staff may not have the skills to identify and appropriately manage these conditions. This review plans to assess what urgent dental pathways are in place for hospital inpatients and clarify pathways and commissioning arrangements Method: Data from 43 hospitals nationally was analysed which had been collected by Mouth Care leads in each Trust. Results: Just over half of Trusts had pathways in place for urgent dental problems for their inpatients, which varied according to the urgent dental problem. A total of 91 dentures were lost in the past 3 years costing in total £90,241.17 which is likely to be an underestimate. Commissioning arrangements were unclear, with some services using their dental trainees to address urgent dental needs. Conclusions: Access to urgent dental care for inpatients in hospitals is important to reduce length of stay and improve the quality of life of patients while in hospitals. Patient pathways for urgent dental problems need improvement as there is little consistency across England, often depending on access to other services within a hospital such as a dental department. Further clarification is required locally to define remuneration arrangements with commissioning teams and the responsibility of access to urgent care made clear.