Paediatric dentistry

On this page you will find:

What we do
Our specialisms
Conditions we treat
Treatments we offer
Paediatric dentistry referral criteria
urgent referals
Patient information leaflets

What we do

We provide specialist dental care for children. We hold joint paediatric dentistry and orthodontic clinics.

Our specialisms

We provide dental care for children with chronic medical conditions and learning difficulties.

We also treat trauma and developmental anomalies, such as missing teeth and tooth structure defects.

Conditions we treat

Trauma - injured teeth

Dental caries - decayed teeth

Developmental anomalies - missing teeth, extra teeth and teeth with an unusual appearance.

Treatments we offer

Restorations - fillings in teeth

Aesthetic treatments - improvement in the appearance of discoloured front permanent teeth

Root canal treatment - fillings in teeth which have 'died' - usually front teeth that have been injured

Preventive care - help with preventing dental disease.

Paediatric Dentistry referral criteria

Acceptance criteria: (For routine referral)

Inhalational sedation- this requires co-operation from the child, the average age group is 6-15 years of age, and is not indicated for multiple extractions of primary molars (we are unable to accept referrals for routine orthodontic extractions)
Minor oral surgery procedures: biopsies, surgical extractions, fraenectomy in teenagers requested by Specialist Orthodontic colleagues, surgical exposures etc. These may be carried out under local anaesthetic, inhalational sedation or general anaesthetic
Medically and behaviourally compromised children for a course of dental treatment (not routine dental reviews and prevention which could be done in PCDS or primary care for the majority of children)
Dental anomalies: for example Amelogenesis imperfecta, Dentinogenesis imperfecta, hypodontia
Multi-Disciplinary Team Clinics: mainly with orthodontic colleagues, and some restorative and Special Care Dentistry clinics for children transitioning to adult care (Cleft has separate funding and referrals)
Management of poor prognosis first permanent molars, referral ideally around the age of 8-9 years, GDP to stabilise and maintain where possible until this age.
Dental trauma:
- Non-emergency management of complex dental trauma in the permanent dentition e.g. definitive root canal treatment for teeth with immature apices (initial extirpation and dressing should be carried out prior to referral when loss of vitality is diagnosed), management of resorption, interdisciplinary planning for teeth of hopeless prognosis etc.
- Non-emergency management of complex dental trauma in the primary dentition e.g. ankylosed/infraoccluding teeth
Complex restorative/ aesthetic treatment- microabrasion, composite veneers, adhesive bridges, onlays
Assessment and treatment planning for comprehensive care under general anaesthetic in children with additional needs
Dental assessment prior to high risk procedures e.g. bone marrow transplant and cardiac surgery, to be referred by the relevant medical or surgical team

Please complete any restorations possible, or at least stabilisation of the dentition before referring for further treatment planning or care, or before requesting GA extraction of teeth that are not restorable.

All patients should continue to have regular diet and hygiene advice in line with the DoH Toolkit, and enhanced professional prevention provided in practice whilst they are waiting to be seen at the dental hospital, and shared care throughout their time receiving specialist treatment in the hospital.

Please continue to provide emergency care to relieve symptoms whilst they are waiting to be seen, and continue to review them for on-going advice, dressings and stabilisation. For example, GIC dressings in MIH cases, and extirpation and dressing of non-vital teeth, dressing carious primary teeth.

Routine restorations in primary teeth should be provided in the primary care setting when possible. We will not be offering routine restorations of primary teeth, unless patients are needed for the undergraduate course. This will vary depending on demand during each academic year.

Urgent referrals

Please only mark a referral as urgent if there is any of the following:

suspected pathology
a significant facial/intraoral swelling not responding to antibiotics;
prolonged bleeding from the mouth
complex dental trauma, please also ring into the department if treatment is time dependant eg-avulsion and luxation, between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday

Outside these hours, the patient should phone 111 or go to their local Emergency Department.