SUMMARY In 1978 the Hertfordshire Area Health Authority

converted a ground floor dental surgery with the specific aim of providing a comprehensive dental service to the handicapped in the Community. This article describes the criteria used in the design andlocation of the unit and, briefly, how an efficient patient flow is achieved. The routine dental treatment of the handicapped patient has always posed problems real and artificial for the dental surgeon. Problems can be simply classified into: (1) Medical. (2) Management from the patient’s point of view, including access to surgery, dental chair, and transportation. (3) Management from the Dental Surgeon’s point of view. (4) Economics. (5) Time, which is closely related to economics