Public awareness of care pathways and available skill mix in NHS dental teams: a qualitative study

Introduction Limited public understanding of the dental team's roles and confusion about accessing urgent dental care (UDC) and emergency dental services (EDSs) are barriers to efficient service use. Understanding and addressing these gaps is essential to improving patient access, enhancing experience and successfully integrating skill mix into dentistry.Aims This study explores public awareness of the dental team in Wales and the processes for accessing UDC. It also seeks to identify participants' information needs and suggestions for improving awareness and understanding of the general dental team and UDC.Method A qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was undertaken. Data were analysed thematically, capturing key themes in participants' responses.Results We found limited public understanding of the different dental team member roles and participants lacked clarity on how and when to access UDC. Participants demonstrated a limited understanding of dental roles beyond the dentist, frequently using terms like 'dental assistant' to describe various team members. Participants called for better education on the dental team and clearer guidance on what constitutes a dental emergency or how to access UDC.Conclusion The findings reveal critical knowledge gaps about dental team member roles and UDC processes, which could play a key role in patients making informed choices about appropriate care pathways and using the available skill mix in the dental team. Targeted public education campaigns are necessary to address these gaps, improve patient confidence in seeking care from other dental team members, and enhance service efficiency.