Question
Do HIV-positive people get free dental treatment in the UK?
6 November 2008. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, Living with HIV long-term.
Answer
Everybody is supposed to be able to NHS dental care, which, if not free, is subsided at a reduced rate. Registering at an NHS dentist is difficult though as there are most clinics only offer private care and those that do offer NHS care are busy and sometimes full.
Most people access dental care privately or not at all.
If you are HIV-positive, many private dentists will refuse to take you as a patient. This discrimination is probably illegal but is difficult to prove. Any dentist following standard procedures should not worry about HIV and any that are not, you would not want to visit.
Some ‘special needs’ dentists were set up to provide dental care for HIV-positive people – though I’mn not sure how many of these clinics are now running.
You can also ask to have your dental care through your main HIV hospital.
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