A PRIMARY CARE ORAL HEALTH CONCEPT :THE DENTAL HOME.

Background: If the adverse trends in oral health in children and young people are to be reversed, fundamental changes in the provision of primary dental care for young people will be required. The most important of these are the setting of a realistic level of remuneration for general dental practitioners treating children in the NHS and assurance of an adequate supply of appropriately trained staff within the Community Dental Service. For the future, the recognition of Paediatric Dentistry in the Chief Dental Officer's report on Specialization in Dentistry, and the setting up of a Task Force for this Specialty, are vital developments in ensuring high-quality comprehensive oral health care for children and adolescents is readily available and accessible to all. Description: The dental home is a locus for preventive oral health supervision and emergency care. It can be a repository for records and the focus for making specialty referrals. When culture and ethnicity are barriers to care, the dental home offers a site adapted to care delivery and is sensitive to family values. Clinical Implications: The dental home can provide access to preventive and emergency services for children. Establishment of the home early in the child’s life can expose a child to prevention and early intervention before problems occur, reduce anxiety and facilitate referral.