Special Care Dental Service

Providing treatment to adults and children who require special care dentistry

Our Special Care Dental Service (SCDS) provides treatment to adults and children who require special care dentistry relating to:

  • Learning disability
  • Autistic spectrum disorders
  • Severe physical disability
  • Severe and enduring mental illness, eg schizophrenia
  • Complex medical history/disabilities
  • Patients requiring domiciliary care who fulfil any of the above criteria
  • Children on Child Protection Plans
  • Travellers’ children and children from homeless families
  • Looked after children
  • Children who require extractions under general anaesthesia due to very young age or children that require multiple extractions
  • Adults and children with a disability who require treatment under general anaesthesia.

NHS dental charges will apply to all patients unless they meet the NHS dental exemption criteria and can supply evidence of this exemption.

Contact information

Dental Office
Centenary House
1A The Avenue
Eastbourne
East Sussex, BN21 3XY

0300 131 4542

Where are our clinics?

Treatment is provided at various community clinics detailed below, but enquiries should be directed to the main Dental Office detailed above.

Arthur Blackman Clinic
Special Care Dental Service
Battle Road, St Leonards-on-Sea
East Sussex, TN37 7AN

0300 131 4611

Seaford Health Centre
Dane Road, Seaford
East Sussex, BN25 1DH

0300 131 4626

Ian Gow Memorial Health Centre
Special Care Dental Service
Milfoil Drive
Eastbourne, BN23 8BR

01323 760666

Uckfield Community Hospital
Framfield Road, Uckfield
East Sussex, TN22 5AW

01825 745005

Other Services

General anaesthetic sessions are provided for patients who are unable to tolerate dental treatment due to their young age or disability/condition. The dental treatment is provided by Special Care Dental Service staff and the sessions are held at the Day Surgery Unit at Eastbourne DGH.

Domiciliary visits are provided for housebound patients.

Oral health promotion activities are carried out within the service and with other targeted groups.