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Dental abscess - Management
Who should treat a dental abscess?
- All people with a dental abscess should have definitive treatment provided by a dental practitioner.
- Advise the person to access services (for emergency treatment) via:
- Their registered Dental Practice, or
- The Accident and Emergency department of a dental hospital (if available), or
- The local Dental Access Centre (if available), or
- The Accident and Emergency department of a district general hospital, if the airway is compromised or only if no other avenues are available.
- Interim treatment by the medical practitioner may be needed while the person is waiting to see a dental practitioner.
Clarification / Additional information
- All people with a dental abscess should be seen as soon as possible by a dental practitioner. However, emergency access to a dental practitioner may not be immediately available and the person may seek help from medical services.
- Treatment may be provided by the person's GP, medical out-of-hours service, or local Accident and Emergency department. Nevertheless, the person must be strongly advised to see a dental practitioner as soon as possible for definitive treatment.
- Interim treatment while waiting to see a dental practitioner may consist of advice about self-care and analgesia, with or without an antibiotic prescription.
Basis for recommendation
These recommendations are based on current medical literature looking at the provision of dental services in the UK [Anderson and Thomas, 2000].
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