| What is Direct Access?
Direct Access makes it possible for Dental Care Professionals (DCP) including Dental Hygienists and Therapists to treat patients without the need to visit a dentist first. Prior to 2013, patients were not able to obtain treatment for a dental hygienist and dental therapist without being referred by a practising dentist. A patient would be seen by the dentist first who would then refer the patient to a dental hygienist, dental therapist. In 2013, the General Dental Council (GDC), removed the barrier preventing DCPs seeing patients without a referral from the dentist. Meaning that for the first time patients were then able to book an appointment directly with the dentist without seeing the dentist first.
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Why Direct Access? Direct Access seen to be essential for a number of reasons, it was introduced to help make dentistry more readily available to communities in under served populations. By removing the barriers in seeing a dental hygienist directly, it was thought that this would be beneficial financially to patients as they would be paying for one appointment as opposed to paying for 2 appointments with the initial dentists visit. Baillit et al (2008), found that patients saved money seeing a dental hygienist directly as opposed to paying to visit a dentist first, then paying again to see a dental hygienist and therapist. It was argued that seeing a hygienist first could help some patients save money by paying for one appointment as opposed to paying for 2 appointment's with the initial appointment with the dentist and the second apponitment with the dental hygienist. save money for patients |
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Benefits to Direct Access A literature review commissioned by the GDC, 2012, “Benefits and risks of direct access to treatment by dental care professionals: A rapid evidence review”, found that there were benefits to patients having Direct Access.” A study by, Freed et al, (1997) and Meltz (2011), concluded that having dental hygienists and therapists in dental practices, helped improve access to underserved communities. Waterfall et al, (1997) and Caleche et al (2009, 2011), found that patient satisfaction was high with dental hygienists and therapists and anxiety levels were very low amongst patients directly visiting a dental hygienist and therapist. Visiting the Hygienist first can remove the feeling of embarrassment and feeling like you are being judged if oral hygiene standards have not been well maintained. However if teeth were cleaned first, by the hygienist and patients have been recommended an effective at home oral hygiene routine, by the time they visited the dentist, the oral hygiene levels would have improved. Therefore removing the fear of seeing the dentist. The GDC has made it clear that there should be a clear pathway of referring a patient if they require treatment beyond the scope of a Dental hygienist or therapist. Studies have proven that removing the barrier to seeing a dental hygienist directly has significant benefits to patients and the whole dental team. Studies have also shown that there was a higher job satisfaction of DCPs when working to their full scope of practice.
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References Bailit H, Beazoglou T, Drozdowski M (2008) Financial feasibility of a model school-based dental program in different states. Public Health Reports 123: 761-767 Freed JR, Perry DA, Kushman JE (1997) Aspects of quality of dental hygiene care in Mertz E, Glassman P (2011) Alternative practice dental hygiene in California: past, present, and future. J Calif Dent Assoc 39: 37-46 Wetterhall S, Burrus B, Shugars D, Bader J (2011) Cultural context in the effort to improve Calache H, Hopcraft MS (2011) Provision of oral health care to adult patients by dental Calache H, Shaw J, Groves V, Marino R, Morgan M, Gussy M, Satur J, Hopcraft M (2009) Mertz E, Glassman P (2011) Alternative practice dental hygiene in California: past, present, and future. J Calif Dent Assoc 39: 37-46Calache H, Hopcraft MS (2011) Provision of oral health care to adult patients by dental therapists without the prescription of a dentist. J Public Health Dent 72: 19–27 Freed JR, Perry DA, Kushman JE (1997) Aspects of quality of dental hygiene care in
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