New advice sheet on analgesia for dental pain

NHS England has issued a new information sheet reminding dentists of the recommended drug regimens for the relief of dental pain in children and adults.

The new sheet is a printer-friendly summary of the analgesia recommendations found in the British National Formulary (BNF), BNF for Children, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s clinical knowledge summary on analgesia for mild-to-moderate pain.

In line with the Faculty of General Dental Practice’s Antimicrobial Prescribing for General Dental Practitioners guidance, which stresses the importance of definitive management of the cause of dental pain and/or infection, the advice emphasises that pain relief should only be used ‘in conjunction with local operative measures’.

Dentists in the UK have a statutory duty to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance by ensuring appropriate use of antibiotics, and the new sheet has been produced as part of the NHS’s Antibiotics Don’t Cure Toothache campaign and added to Public Health England’s dental antimicrobial stewardship toolkit.

Antimicrobial Prescribing for General Dental Practitioners gives clear, simple and practical advice on when to prescribe, what to prescribe, for how long and at what dosage, and covers prescribing in primary dental care both to adults and children. It is available free of charge online, or to buy in print at www.fgdp.org.uk/shop.