For urgent dental problems, contact your local dentist.
If you don't have one, call our dental advice line on 01592 226 555.
It is important to seek advice for dental pain quickly to avoid worsening the pain.
For dental emergencies outside normal hours (Monday–Friday, 8.30am–5pm), contact NHS24 on 111.
Role of the Public Dental Service
Our public dental service offers services for anxious patients, including sedation and general anaesthetics. We assist patients who are restricted to their homes or hospitalised. We work in partnership with both the General Dental and Hospital Dental Services.
Referrals
Patients are referred to the public dental service from family dental practices for treatment that requires expertise, equipment, accommodation, or services that are not readily available or economical in traditional high street practices.
This includes referrals for paediatric, surgical specialist, anxious adult and bariatric services.
In addition, we have fully accessible premises with specialised equipment to assist those with additional needs.
Children
We provide specialist dental services for children who have been referred for specialist care that is often not available at a local dental practice. Instances where children may require community dental services include:
- those with extensive untreated tooth decay who are particularly anxious
- those with physical or learning disabilities or certain medical conditions
- children referred for treatment requiring sedation or general anaesthetic
If your child has been referred to our community dental centre for treatment. This short animation has been designed to help prepare them for their visit and let them know what to expect.
Virtual tour of the Fife Community Dental Centre
The Fife Community Dental Centre is at the Victoria Hospital site. Download our map to see where our buildings and main facilities are located.
Older people
We provide older people’s dental services to care homes throughout Fife and our accessible clinics if further treatment is required. We focus on the Caring for Smiles national programme for those in supported care.
Special care
We provide access to dental care for patients with special care needs and where learning difficulties, mental health or physical disability may prevent treatment within general dental services. We can provide care to housebound patients where appropriate.
Routine dental care
We ensure that routine general dental care is available in areas of Fife where there may be an insufficient number of family dentists to meet the needs of the local population.
Emergency dental services
We play a crucial role in managing the Fife emergency dental service. This includes providing a weekday dental advice line, and facilitating access to urgent dental care for unregistered patients.
We work in partnership with NHS24, primary care, and local dental practices/practitioners to provide access to emergency dental care for registered and unregistered patients on the weekends.
How to contact us
Your dentist or another health professional usually makes a referral to the public dental service. If you need to be referred, speak to your family dentist in the first instance.
If you do not have a family dentist, please contact the dental advice line on 01592 226555 or by email at: fife.dentaladviceline@nhs.scot
National programmes
Fife’s Public Dental Service manages and delivers national programmes, including:
- National Epidemiology
- Oral Health Promotion
- Childsmile
- Dental Outreach
To find a Public Dental Service Clinic near you click on the box below
