Dental services for people with learning disabilities
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Dental services for people with learning disabilities

Jessica Shield Learning disability nursing student, University of Cumbria, Lancaster, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Linda Turner Senior community learning disabilities nurse, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Sian Pierce Assistant psychologist, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Wheatcroft David Clinical psychologist, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

Jessica Shield and colleagues describe how the development of dental passports and reasonable adjustments by staff ensure service users receive a high standard of care

Evidence shows that people with learning disabilities have poorer health outcomes and less access to health services than the rest of the population. In Cumbria, learning disability and NHS dental services work together to provide person-centred care for people with learning disabilities, and have produced a ‘dental passport’ to improve access to dental care. The layout and content of this document are similar to those of hospital passports but include additional details on the holders’ ability to communicate, mobility, previous dental treatment and seating preferences for treatment. There are ten specialist dental services for adults with severe learning disabilities in Cumbria, all of which provide expert care for people with disabilities.

Learning Disability Practice. 16, 1, 12-15. doi: 10.7748/ldp2013.02.16.1.12.e684

Correspondence

linda.turner@cumbria.nhs.uk dave.wheatcroft@cumbria.nhs.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 20 September 2012

Accepted: 13 November 2012

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