DUBLIN, Ireland: Many individuals in Ireland who have difficulty in getting a National Health Service (NHS) dental appointment today will remember a time when their local dentist’s office was a cornerstone of the community. According to educators, a primary care-based approach to dental education could help to re-establish community-centred oral care by reducing access barriers and establishing greater connections between young dental professionals and local populations. As Ireland struggles to provide NHS appointments, news of the country’s first community-based undergraduate dental programme has provided hope for the service.