Daily Life with a C4/C5 Spinal Cord Injury

We all know accessing an NHS dentist can be difficult if not impossible. Now add in, finding any dentist with a spacious enough surgery to accommodate a wheelchair.  And, then consider whether the clinical equipment is mobile or fixed to the dentist chair. 

For a person with an SCI who is unable to transfer unaided, the likelihood of attending a high street dentist is pretty much zero. 

Turn the clock back to April 2020, the actual week dad was discharged from Salisbury Spinal Unit, dad was contacted to be told, he’d finally made it to the top of the NHS list and a local dentist was now available for him….that was until I advised he was now a full time wheelchair user!

I was assured, we’d be contacted by the community team.  This never happened.  Despite numerous attempts to access some sort of dentistry treatment, we failed. 

In late 2023, we decided to bite the bullet (not literally as that could ruin a tooth!) and go private.  We found a Bupa surgery with wide enough doors to accommodate the wheelchair.  Over the phone, they assured me wheelchair users were fine accessing the surgery. 

On arrival sadly this wasn’t the case, the surgery was too small for a checkup to be completed safely.  Thankfully though, they made a referral to the NHS Dental Access Centre in Plymouth. 

Game changer! First appointment for a check up was completed within a month of the referral and a string of treatments and future plans have all been made. 

It’s a wonderful specialist surgery with a tilt/scoop where wheelchairs can be tilted back into the required position for the dental treatment.  The surgery is spacious for turning circles and the staff are amazingly supportive with the different needs of their patients. 

A truly wonderful experience and worth the wait!