Paediatric acceptance criteria

Referral from local general dental practitioners need to be sent directly to the community dental services.

Direct referrals are only accepted from general medical practitioners, paediatricians, and other community/hospital based medical and dental specialists. Please email your referral to paediatric dentistry team

Information for dentists:

If your patient lives in a London borough:

You should refer your patient directly to community dental services (CDS) using the CDS referral form 98KB or through their website CDS online referral form.

If your patient lives outside of London:

Please download the  out of area paediatric dental referral form, complete and send to: paediatric dentistry team

High and medium priority patients will be accepted for management and treatment by staff or postgraduate students if there is the capacity at the time.

Patients are considered high priority:          

• medically compromised - organ transplant, leukaemia, immunosuppressed, AIDS, cancer, cystic fibrosis, ASA III
• special needs with behavioural problems such as autism needing GA and in pain
• recent dento-alveolar trauma requiring urgent attention
• complex dento-alveolar trauma ie pulp therapy of teeth with immature apices, root fracture, root resorption
• tooth structural defects – enamel hypoplasia, amelogenesis imperfecta and dentinogenesis imperfecta
• dental anomalies ie hypodontia and supernumeraries
• surgical procedures ie removal of supernumerary teeth, impacted teeth, infra occluded teeth, or exposure and bonding of canines.
• cleft lip and palate
• early onset periodontal disease
• pathological lesions of hard or soft tissue requiring diagnosis and/ or biopsy

Patients considered medium priority: 

• serious medical condition - severe asthma, uncontrolled epilepsy, cardiac abnormalities, ASA II
• management of caries for children under 6 years old
• patients > 6 years needing GA and multiple extractions
• patients needing GA for dental treatment when conventional behaviour management techniques have failed
• children with severe anxiety or phobia

Patients requiring emergency dental care:

An emergency telephone triage service is available to provide relief of acute pain, swelling or post-dental trauma. Children registered with a dentist should seek care from their own dentist in the first instance. Undergraduate and  postgraduate students may both examine and  treat patients on the emergency clinic. Referrals should be not be sent for non-urgent referrals.

Patients who are not routinely accepted for treatment: 

• We do not accept patients requiring oral hygiene instruction alone or simple orthodontic extractions.
• Molar endodontics for children will not routinely be carried out. We will provide a consultation regarding the value of early extraction and balanced extraction of first permanent molars. Children will generally be referred back should RCT be required.