Management of Acute Dental Problems
Published March 2013
Available in several formats, this guidance provides decision support flowcharts to identify any immediate attention or advice to give to a patient and to determine the appropriate provider of subsequent care.
Downloads
- Full Guidance (PDF) – decision support flowcharts and further advice on the management of a range of clinical conditions.
- Quick Reference Guide (PDF) – decision support flowcharts.
- Web App – an interactive electronic version of the full guidance (best viewed with current browsers e.g. Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer 9 or later).
An offline version of the Web-App is also in development. Details will be posted here.
- Printed copies of the Quick Reference Guide are available.
- The Full Guidance is only available as a downloadable online resource. It is no longer available in print.
About this guidance
Patients who have an acute dental problem seek care in a variety of settings. Management of Acute Dental Problems aims to encourage the consistent provision of safe and effective care that is tailored to each patient’s needs.
Based on the main presenting symptoms, Management of Acute Dental Problems provides decision support flowcharts, which can be used to identify any immediate attention or advice to give to the patient and to determine the appropriate provider of subsequent care. Further advice is also provided about the initial management and subsequent care for a wide variety of conditions that may present as acute dental problems.
This guidance is intended for use by staff in any healthcare setting who may be asked to advise or manage patients with acute dental problems. This includes non-dental professionals, such as general medical practice, emergency department and pharmacy staff, as well as members of the dental team. The Quick Reference Guide (PDF) and Web App may be of particular interest to non-dental professionals.
Guidance development
Management of Acute Dental Problems has been developed by a multidisciplinary group. This comprised dental and non-dental professionals with a role in the management of acute dental problems and patient representatives and was supported by members of the Programme Development Team. The guidance is based on a review of available evidence and the opinion of experts and experienced practitioners and has been subject to open consultation and peer review prior to finalising for publication. Further information on the SDCEP guidance development process is available.
Guidance Development Group
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Graham Ball (Chair) | Consultant in Dental Public Health, South East Scotland; Clinical Dental Lead, NHS 24 |
| Martin Allan | Patient Partner, Healthcare Improvement Scotland |
| Duncan Campbell | Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, NHS Fife |
| Deborah Devlin | Lead Nurse – NHS 24 & Scottish Emergency Dental Service |
| Douglas Duncan | Assistant Clinical Director, NHS Lothian |
| David Felix | Postgraduate Dental Dean, NHS Education for Scotland; Consultant in Oral Medicine, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde |
| James Ferguson | Consultant in Emergency Medicine, NHS Grampian |
| Abdul Haleem | General Dental Practitioner, Paisley; Dental Practice Advisor, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde |
| Tina Halford-McGuff | Patient Representative |
| Nicola Innes | Senior Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Dentistry, University of Dundee |
| Penny Lockwood | General Medical Practitioner, Dundee; Honorary Lecturer, Tayside Centre for General Practice, University of Dundee |
| John McAnaw | Head of Pharmacy, NHS 24 |
| Margaret Madden | Out-of-hours Call Handler/Receptionist, NHS Lothian |
| Charles Maran | Specialist in Periodontics, Edinburgh Dental Institute |
| Avril Neilson | Consultant in Oral Surgery, Dundee Dental Hospital and School |
| Emma O’Keefe | Specialty Registrar in Dental Public Health, NHS Fife |
| Derek Richards | Consultant in Dental Public Health, South East Scotland |
| David Ricketts | Professor of Cariology & Conservative Dentistry, University of Dundee |
| Verena Toedtling | Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Specialist Registrar in Oral Surgery, University of Manchester |
| Richard Welbury | Professor of Paediatric Dentistry, University of Glasgow |
SDCEP acknowledges the important contribution of all those who commented during the consultation and peer review stages.
A document providing further details about the evidence synthesis used to inform the development of Management of Acute Dental Problems is available on request: scottishdental.cep@nes.scot.nhs.uk.
Review and updating
In 2018 the SDCEP Steering Group agreed not to prioritise extensive review and updating of the Management of Acute Dental Problems guidance. The guidance may be subject to minor amendment if new information becomes available. Until further notice it remains extant and available for reference.