SDCEP Management of Acute Dental Problems
This toolkit is based on SDCEP’s Management of Acute Dental Problems guidance which aims to support any healthcare professional to identify any immediate attention or advice to give a patient presenting with an acute dental problem, and to determine the appropriate urgency and provider of subsequent care.
When a patient presents with an acute dental problem, the healthcare professional needs to be able to identify the nature of the problem to the extent required for them to provide initial management and to determine the appropriate provider of subsequent care. While many dental professionals are experienced in doing this, for less experienced dental professionals and other healthcare professionals, this can be particularly challenging. The decision support pathways presented in this toolkit are primarily directed towards non-dentists, although they are of relevance to all users.
This toolkit illustrates the pathways to care providers for patients who present with dental problems. The start point is one of the following key presenting symptoms: pain; swelling; bleeding; trauma; ulceration; altered sensation or abnormal appearance in the head or neck. It is recognised that a patient may present with more than one of these symptoms. In this case, the main or first reported symptom is used as the start point.
