Bay Navigator

Planned Care Services

Dental

Referral Acceptance

Dental referrals are prioritised by a hospital Dentist based on the information contained within. Additional information should be attached where available. The priorisation tool used to grade referrals can be found below. 

All accepted referrals will be seen within a maximum waiting time of 4 months, unless there is a clinical reason for delay.

First Specialist Assessments

Waiting priority 1

Accepted

Waiting priority 2

Accepted

Waiting priority 3

Accepted

Waiting priority 4

Declined

At First Specialist Assessment (FSA), patients are assessed by a Dentist and if surgery is required, patients are then prioritised using the National Dental CPAC tool.  A 0-100 score is allocated to each patient.

Prior to acceptance for surgery, patients are assessed in Anaesthetic preassessment clinic to ensure they are fit for surgery.

All patients accepted for surgery will be treated within a maximum waiting time of 4 months, unless there is a clinical reason for delay.

 

Surgery Acceptance

Treatment List

CPAC 80+ 

Accepted
National Access Criteria for First Assessment (ACA)

Bay of Plenty Variation (May 2022)

Category

Diagnosis (clinical examples)

1. Urgent
(Within 14 days)

  • High Suspicion of Cancer, as per April 2016 High Suspicion of Cancer Data Definitions

  • Head and neck trauma e.g., facial bone fractures

  • Acute or life threatening oro-facial infections e.g., Ludwig’s angina

  • Significant or uncontrolled pain and/or bleeding

  • Acute functional problems e.g., TMJ dislocation

2. Semi-Urgent
(Within 4 – 6 weeks)

  • Patients recently diagnosed with head or neck cancer, (excluding minor skin cancers) requiring Dental treatment

  • Patients diagnosed with or at risk of osteonecrosis

  • Complex oral pathology e.g., cysts, salivary gland pathology

  • Significant infection and/or pain of oral origin

  • Pre and/or post-surgery oral health assessments and treatments e.g., organ transplant, cardiac valve surgery, renal

3. non-Urgent
(Within 4 months)

  • Children who cannot cope in a community dental setting due to:

    • their extensive treatment needs (one complete treatment) + their young age (under 7 years)

    • or their complicated treatment needs (extractions only) + their age (7 years of age and older)

  • Patients with significant cranio-facial abnormalities

  • Patients with physical or developmental or intellectual disabilities

4. Routine (Not accepted)
  • Patients living in residential care or nursing care
  • Long-term TMJ pain
  • Patients in long-term mental health units
  • Management of significant dental problems for low-income adults e.g., full clearances
  • Patients with complex comorbidities

*Diagnosis and treatment required in a hospital setting for medically complex patients and patients with special needs.

*Clinical Priority” criteria are a guide rather than exhaustive, complete or exclusory.

Exclusion: Orthodontic treatment as per the June 2015 Oral Health Services Tier Two Service Specification.