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Dentists with Special Interests (DwSIs)

From April 1st 2006 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been responsible for reviewing the oral health needs of their population and commissioning services to meet these needs.  With the advent of the Dentist with Special Interests scheme, PCTs have additional flexibility to access and integrate local resources within primary care that are directly in line with the needs of their local communities.

Guidelines for the appointment of DwSIs

13 April 2006: Four clinical competency groups have developed detailed competencies for dentists with special interest in Minor Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontics and Endodontics, following the publication in May 2004 of the policy framework for establishing a scheme for Dentists with Special Interest. We suggest that these competencies are used by PCTs in assessing whether particular practitioners should be accredited as a DwSI. These are available to download using the links below.

If PCTs decide that the establishment of DwSIs could be part of their commissioning strategy, Primary Care Contracting have published a step by step guide. The guide takes PCTs through the process of assessing whether the commissioning of dental services from a DwSI would be appropriate, how such practitioners should be accredited and how a service might operate.

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