In Bermuda, the government runs dental health services at Hamilton Health Centre, St. George’s Health Centre, and Somerset Health Centre. As of August 2015, these services are not taking new clients while in the process of hiring new staff. New clients may be placed on a wait list for when client spots are again available.
The waiting period for dental procedures at Government of Bermuda health centres is six to eight months. Priority will be being given to eligible patients who, upon triage, require urgent or emergency care. Others will be referred to private practices. The Bermuda Yellow Pages provides a list of private-practice dentists in Bermuda.
Dental care for children
In addition to providing dental education in every classroom in Bermuda, the Department of Health’s Oral Health Section provides free, confidential dental screenings for all school children in P2, P3, and M2. Parents are given a report of their children’s dental needs. Children in these school years can also have their teeth sealed, free-of-charge, at their school.
For additional dental protection, the Government of Bermuda provides fluoride to school-aged children in the country. Fluoride supplements are free of charge; you only need to fill out a consent form, available from all schools or dental health clinics, to receive the supplements.
Children should be given the following dosage of fluoride as a daily supplement:
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0-6 months old: no supplement
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6-18 months old: one drop of liquid fluoride
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18-24 months old: two drops of liquid fluoride
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2-3 years old: one tablet or two drops
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3-5 years old: one 0.5 milligram tablet
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6-16 years old: one 1.0 milligram tablet