The Homelessness and Oral Health Program (HOHP) provides participating homelessness support agencies with a simple referral pathway for eligible clients to access priority general and emergency dental care, including denture care. There are no out-of-pocket costs for clients referred through the HOHP.

To be eligible for the HOHP clients need to be:

1. Homeless or at risk of homelessness*
2. 18 years or over
3. Holder of a current Centrelink Concession Card

Clients need to have a referral form completed by a Homelessness Support Agency Worker to access the HOHP.

*The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines homelessness as the lack of one or more elements that represent ‘home’. The ABS statistical definition of homelessness is ‘… when a person does not have suitable accommodation alternatives, they are considered homeless if their current living arrangement:

• is in an inadequate dwelling
• has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable, or
• does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations’ (ABS 2012)’.

The completed HOHP referral form is emailed to: HealthSADSServicePlanning@sa.gov.au

On receipt of the referral form, the HOHP team liaise with service providers and/or directly with the client regarding dental appointment details.

Referred clients are triaged and a dental appointment is allocated according to the urgency of their dental needs. Clients may be seen at a SA Dental clinic or participating private dentist.

Emergency dental care

Clients will require an emergency dental appointment if they have the following symptoms:

• Facial swelling – client may also be feeling unwell, have a fever and/or finding it difficult to open their mouth, swallow or breathe
• Recent traumatic injury to the face, jaw or teeth
• Uncontrolled bleeding from the mouth which is unable to be resolved without medical intervention.

In the case of a life-threatening dental emergency which requires immediate attention, clients need to contact their closest dental clinic or if after hours, a public hospital emergency department.

General dental care

Clients with non-urgent dental problems will be allocated a priority appointment according to availability.

Homeless Support Agency Workers can complete a program referral form and email the form to the HOHP team.

If you have any questions about the HOHP and how to refer your clients, please contact the HOHP team.