Referring to the restorative dentistry service

We are a major teaching hospital and aim to provide the highest quality care for all our patients, as well as providing teaching for undergraduate dental students and postgraduate trainees.

All referrals should be from a dentist only to avoid inappropriate referrals and avoid unnecessary delay for your patient.

We are no longer permitted to refer to our consultant colleagues internally. A completed restorative referral form Feb 2020 36KB should be sent to: bhnt.RestorativeDentistry@nhs.net

Please note we no longer accept fax referrals.

It is a requirement that you will need to continue to see your patient for routine examinations and treatment (including emergency treatment) and continue to provide all other aspects of your patient's dental care including any recommendations made from the hospital specialists. For example, if the patient requires any extractions, and some types of restorations, it is expected that you will continue to provide these treatments in a timely manner.

Most patients will be returned to primary care after consultation for completion of a treament plan devised in the consultation clinic. All patients will be returned to primary care after hospital treatment for maintainence therapy. 

Restorative dentistry criteria

  • Most referrals will be accepted for advice and treatment planning only.
  • Those patients who are accepted for treatment will be expected to continue to be registered with a general dental practitioner who is willing to assume responsibility for their continuing dental care even during the period of secondary care and to participate fully in items of treatment as deemed necessary by a consultant in restorative dentistry. 
  • Patients can only be accepted where we have capacity to care for them. 
  • Most patients will be discharged back to their general dental practitioners with a treatment plan or once that treatment we have offered to undertake is completed. 
  • Under no circumstances can we keep patients on for continuing care.
  • NHS England will be constantly monitoring for the quality of referrals to secondary care. 
  • Most referrals will be accepted for advice and treatment planning only, though if not indicated on the proforma we may ask you to clarify this.
  • Those patients who are accepted for treatment will be expected to have a general dental practitioner who is willing to assume responsibility for their continuing dental care and to participate fully in items of treatment as deemed necessary by a consultant in restorative dentistry. Patients will only be accepted where we have capacity to care for them.
  • Most patients will be discharged back to their general dental practitioners with a treatment plan or once that treatment we have offered to undertake is completed.

Patients are considered high priority if they:

  • have or have had oral cancer.
  • have congenital dental abnormalities e.g. hypodontia, cleft lip and palate and amelogenesis imperfect or other tooth development disorders.
  • are medically compromised and who cannot be treated in the general or community dental services e.g. those with severe haemophilia (see special section) or significant inhibitors and patients with bacterial endocarditis with positive culture for Strep Viridans and acute admissions for cardiac valve surgery with significant dental disease. This does not include routine polypharmacy patients (see medically compromised section for further detail.
  • have suffered severe oro-facial trauma.
  • have moderate to severe learning disabilities and require treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia (see special section).

Patients suitable for postgraduate care:

In addition to our priority groups, some patients are accepted in line with the immediate training needs of our postgraduate trainees and students. Unfortunately this does not mean that all patients that are suitable will be accepted as there are limitations to our treatment capacity.

Patients requiring emergency dental care:

An emergency “walk in” service is available to provide relief of acute pain, swelling or following dental trauma. Patients already registered with a dentist MUST seek care from their own dentist in the first instance. Undergraduate students both examine and treat patients on the emergency clinic.

Patients who are not routinely accepted for treatment:

  • We are unable to accept patients for treatment on financial grounds alone. Acceptance is based solely on clinical need.
  • We do not accept patients with failing crown and bridge work.
  • We do not accept patients who require immediate dentures.
  • We will not accept patients who do not fulfill our acceptance criteria.