Areas of Care

Dental Clinic

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Overview

The Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic at the Civic Campus provides dental and maxillofacial care for hospital inpatients and medically compromised outpatients who cannot be safely treated in a community setting. The clinic also supports patients from several specialized programs within The Ottawa Hospital, including the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, the Cancer Centre, and the Nephrology program, particularly those awaiting transplant surgery.

The clinic operates by referral only and does not accept emergency walk-ins. 

A surgeon wearing a blue gown, surgical cap, mask, and magnifying glasses focuses intently while performing an operation.

Eligibility

Referrals are accepted for adults (18 years and older) who meet one or more of the following criteria and follow the referral process:

  • Complex physical, cognitive or mental health challenges.
  • Severe developmental disabilities.
  • Medical conditions requiring hospital-based dental care, such as:
    • Pre- or post-radiation treatment for head and neck cancer.
    • Complex cardiac disease.
    • Bleeding disorders.
    • Uncontrolled seizures.
    • Recent heart attack (within six months).
    • Kidney disease with impaired function (e.g., dialysis or transplant candidates).
    • Complex craniofacial anomalies.
    • Neurological or neuromuscular disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy).
    • Severe Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
    • Osteoradionecrosis or medication-related osteonecrosis.
    • Severe dental phobia not manageable with oral or IV sedation. 

The following conditions generally do not qualify for hospital-based dental care:

  • Asthma.
  • ODSP coverage without a qualifying medical condition.
  • Diabetes.
  • Dental anxiety.
  • Hepatitis (unless advanced liver dysfunction is documented).
  • Latex allergy.
  • Visual or auditory impairment.
  • HIV (unless immunosuppression or detectable viral load is documented).
  • Metabolic disorders.
  • Financial hardship. 

These lists are guidelines only. All referrals are reviewed by the clinic’s specialists. Patients with serious medical conditions and dental infections that may become life-threatening are prioritized. 

Referrals

Due to a high volume of referrals, consultation appointments may be delayed by three to four months. To manage this, the clinic is reinstating a triage process with clear eligibility criteria. This ensures that patients with the most urgent medical needs are seen in a timely manner.

Referral process

To streamline referrals for patients who require dental care in a hospital setting, the following documents must be included before a referral is accepted for triage:

  1. A referral letter with the patient’s contact and insurance information, a description of the dental concern, and medical justification for hospital-based care (see eligibility).
  2. A current list of all medications.
  3. Any x-rays taken within the past 12 months. 
Dental Clinic Referral Form(86.5 KB)

Although we are updating our consultation request form, previous versions of the referral form will still be accepted if submitted with the documents listed above. 

Contact us

The Ottawa Hospital Dental Clinic

613-761-4084

613-761-5134

dentalclinic@ottawahospital.on.ca

The Ottawa Hospital – Civic Campus 
B-Main Floor 
1053 Carling Avenue Ottawa, ON  K1Y 4E9

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