Westmead Centre for Oral Health
Department of Special Needs Dentistry
The Department of Special Needs Dentistry is a specialist tertiary service for persons with special healthcare needs.
Who can be seen?
We accept referrals for persons over 18 years of age with one or more of the following conditions whereby dental care is not possible in the local community setting
- intellectual disability
- physical disability
- neurodegenerative disease including dementia
-
complex medical condition requiring modified dental treatment planning or care in a hospital setting
- severe dental anxiety or complex mental health
What if I cannot have treatment in chair?
We offer treatment via outpatient clinics under specialist supervision, as well as provision of dental treatment under relative analgesia (happy gas), sedation and general anaesthesia.
The first appointment will be a consultation appointment to plan how care can be best delivered.
How do I get there?
We are located on Level 3 of the Westmead Centre for Oral Health, Westmead Hospital, Darcy Road, Westmead. Our clinics accommodate patients in wheelchairs as well as bed-bound patients.  Please let our staff know if you are arriving via ambulance transport.
There are hospital buggies available at the hospital entrance if you have mobility issues. You will find information about parking and public transport options on the Getting to Westmead Hospital webpage.
Referral information
Referrals to the department must include the following information:
- Referring Clinician’s contact details
- Patient’s name and date of birth
-
Patient (or primary caregiver’s) contact details including mobile phone and email address
- Medicare Number
- Health Care or Pension Care number
Please include reason for referral and urgency of assessment along with any relevant clinical findings, investigations, and previous patient response to care in your referral.
We will also be seeking a current medical history summary from the general medical practitioner, recent reports from involved Medical Specialists, Speech Pathologists and or Behaviour Support Planners to assist us in our planning
Electronic referral is preferred and can be sent to:
Email: [email protected]