This document addresses the issues of involvement of dental professionals in a partnership approach to improving oral health and access to oral health care services within Local Health Care Cooperatives (LHCCs). It looks at current practice since their introduction, reports on the problems that have arisen and why, and highlights important factors to be taken into account in the future. With the imminent formation of Community Health Partnerships, now is thought to be an opportune time to be reviewing past experience and, with this in mind, the report seeks to offer some guidance to the new Community Health Partnerships in involving the dental profession.