Back to Top Dental Clinic - The Ottawa Hospital Website scanner for suspicious and malicious URLs
 

toh

Dental chair and equipments

Referral process and eligibility criteria for the Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic – Civic Campus

The Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic is currently receiving a higher than normal volume of patient referrals resulting in a 3-4 month wait time for a consultation appointment. In response, TOH medical and dental staff have begun a review process of the current referral procedure and will be reinstituting a triage protocol with well-defined eligibility criteria for access to dental care at the Ottawa Hospital. Our goal is to ensure that those patients who are medically compromised to the extent that a hospital setting is required, continue to have access to dental care within a reasonable timeframe.

We have received a referral for the attached patient – if the patient meets the eligibility criteria and dental treatment in a hospital setting is indicated, please re-send your referral with the required supporting information. This will facilitate appropriate triage and scheduling of the patient. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

Our Mandate

The Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic operates on a ‘by-referral only’ basis and does not provide emergency walk-in service. As a hospital dental clinic our mandate is to provide maxillofacial and dental services to hospital inpatients and medically compromised outpatients who could otherwise not be seen safely in a community dental practice.

Our clinic provides essential dental services for patients from a number of the Ottawa Hospital’s strategic programs, such as the Heart Institute, The Cancer Centre, and Nephrology patients awaiting transplant surgery.

Referral Process

As the Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic endeavors to streamline the referral process for medically compromised patients requiring a hospital setting for their dental care, the following information is now required before a referral is accepted for triage:

  1. A referral letter detailing the patient’s contact information, insurance information, the specific dental concern and the medical justification for requiring a hospital setting (see eligibility criteria below)
  2. A current list of all patient medications
  3. Any and all x-rays taken within the previous 12-month period

Please note the Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic is currently in the process of revising our consultation request form, however copies of our previous referral form will still be accepted if sent in conjunction with the above stated requirements

Eligibility Criteria

The following is a list of general guidelines to assist in determining eligibility for patient referrals to the hospital dental clinic.

The Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic currently accepts patients who are; Adults 18 years of age and older who:

  • have complex physical, cognitive, or mental challenges
  • have severe developmental disabilities
  • are medically-compromised requiring a hospital setting for their dental care, including but not limited to:
    • Pre & post-radiation patients of Head and Neck Oncology
    • Complex cardiac disease (pre and post-surgical)
    • Bleeding disorders
    • Uncontrolled seizures
    • Recent myocardial infarction (within 6 months post MI)
    • Kidney disease resulting in impaired renal function (ie: Dialysis, awaiting transplant)
    • Complex craniofacial anomalies
    • Neurological and neuromuscular disorders (cerebral palsy, cerebrovascular trauma, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy)
    • Severe Alzheimer’s Disease and/or dementia
    • Osteoradionecrosis and medication-related osteonecrosis
    • Severe dental phobia which cannot otherwise be controlled with Oral or IV sedation.

The following conditions are generally notaccepted as medically requiring a hospital setting:

  • Asthma
  • Patients insured through ODSP without an accompanying medical condition as defined above
  • Diabetes
  • Dental Anxiety
  • Hepatitis (unless medical documentation provided with a diagnosis of advanced liver dysfunction)
  • Latex allergy
  • Visual or auditory impairment
  • HIV (unless medical documentation provided illustrating detectable viral load or immunosuppression)
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Financial reasons

Please be advised that the above lists are to be used as guidelines only when referring your patient to the Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic. All referrals, regardless of condition will be reviewed by our team of specialists, with those patients who are medically compromised and having dental infection that may become life threating will be seen first.

Contact Us

Location:
Dental Clinic, B-Main, Civic Campus
1053 Carling Ave
Ottawa, Ontario
K1Y 4E9


Contact for General Inquiries: 613-761-4084; fax: 613-761-5134
Email: dentalclinic@ottawahospital.on.ca


Please note that this email address is only to be used by dental offices to send x-ray results for their referred patients.

Referral Form

Return to all clinics and services

Last updated on: May 31st, 2021