Dental Department

LEAD OFFICER:

Mr M Cassidy, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry

LOCATION:

The Dental Department is located in a custom built new department which was officially opened in April 2005.
Newgate Street , St Helier

WHAT WE DO, WHAT SERVICES DO WE PROVIDE

1. Orthodontics

This involves monitoring dental growth and development to identify functional and aesthetic problems caused by variations in the skeletal relationship of the upper and lower jaws, together with overcrowding or unwanted spacing of the teeth. (malocclusion)

Treatment often involves fixed braces to the teeth to rearrange the dental alignment and thus improve chewing function and the aesthetic appearance of the teeth. Mild or minor malocclusions do not always qualify for treatment in the dental department, and an Index of Treatment Need (IOTN) is used to quantify the severity of the malocclusion so that only more severe cases will receive treatment.

2. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

This specialty includes the clinical management of traumatic facial injuries, and the surgical treatment of diseases of the upper and lower jaws. Examples include tumours in and around the mouth, cysts and infections associated with the teeth, and surgical removal of wisdom teeth.

3. Community Dentistry

In this speciality the client groups are children under the age of 11, plus older children and adults with special needs. Services provided include routine dental care for patients within the above client groups. In addition, the Community Dental Department has responsibility for the dental care of patients who are in long term care in the Geriatric Hospital at Overdale, the Psychiatric Hospital at St Saviours and the various nursing homes around the island.

Routine dental care for otherwise healthy individuals living in their own home is not available in the hospital dental department, and people in this group should register with a private dentist in one of the many dental practices around the island.