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  2. People with disabilities
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  4. Who's who in health services

Dental care for people with disabilities

If you have a disability it may be hard to visit a dental surgery. There are choices available to make sure you have full access to dental care and treatment.

Referral to a health centre or clinic

Your disability or medical condition may mean you need extra time, care or special features to receive proper dental treatment. A health centre or clinic can give you this.

Some hospitals or health centres offer specialist alternative treatment, which may involve sedation or general anaesthetic.

This may be most suitable for:

  • children with disabilities
  • someone who has a severe learning disability
  • someone who, due to their particular impairment, is unable to stay still during the treatment period

Home visits

If you are unable to visit a dentist, they may be able to bring dental treatment to where you live. Treatment choices outside the surgery are limited. The time of day when the dentist can visit may also be limited due to normal surgery hours.

General dental practitioners may treat you at your home or temporary residence, if your condition needs this and they agree to accept you as a patient for Health Service care. You should confirm with the dentist that care is being given under Health Service arrangements.

Or, the Health Service community dental service offered by your local primary care trust may be able to visit you at home. Your doctor or a local dentist can give you contact details.

Medication

If you are taking any medication it's important to let your dentist know. Your dentist will also need to know:

  • the name of your doctor
  • the name of your consultant at your hospital if you are taking medication
  • if you've had an operation
  • if you use, for example, an inhaler

Your rights to health care

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) you have rights of access to dentist surgeries. Dentists should make 'reasonable adjustments' to their premises and procedures. A small dental surgery would perhaps not be expected to make the type of adjustment that a hospital would be able to make.

  • Rights of access to health and social care

More about dental care

There is more information on 

  • Dentists and Health Service dental charges 

The Oral Health Foundation website has information about all aspects of dental health, including dental care for people with special needs.

  • Advice for blind and partially sighted people during coronavirus (COVID-19)
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Who's who in health services

  • Community nurses and health visitors
  • Dental care for people with disabilities
  • Equipment for people with disabilities
  • Help with health costs
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Sight care and services
  • Speech and language therapy

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Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

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If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

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    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
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    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

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For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

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