Waiting list times for dental and orthodontic treatment (FOI)

​Request

A.

Please can you explain why you do not publish the waiting list times for dental and orthodontic treatment?

B.

Please can you also let me know the target waiting time for a first appointment with the orthodontic team and what the waiting time is for treatment to commence?

Response

A.

The HSSD Dental Service is made up of three specialities; Oral Surgery, Community Dental and Orthodontics. Oral surgery provides an acute surgical service and therefore these waiting times are published on the States of Jersey website alongside other acute specialities. Community Dental and Orthodontics are not acute services and have therefore not been routinely published.

B.

There are no targets for waiting times in Jersey.

Referrals to the dental department will be categorised by the consultant, according to clinical urgency, into one of the three categories below:

•  urgent: see within two weeks
•  soon: see within six-eight weeks
•  routine: as per speciality waiting list

Those patients who are ‘Urgent’ or ‘Soon’ will always be prioritised over ‘Routine’. As of May 27 2015 the orthodontic waiting time is 16 months for a first, routine appointment. If treatment is required, the waiting time is approximately 30 months for routine treatment.