University leads development of revised guidelines for primary care dentistry

Academics from the University of Plymouth have worked with colleagues and clinicians across the UK to update a comprehensive and free online manual bringing together standards and guidelines for primary care dentistry.

Standards in Dentistry is published by the College of General Dentistry and sets out specific basic and aspirational standards covering 17 areas of practice.

The newly expanded third edition has been two years in the making, with over 1,000 comments received and considered during consultation processes with College Fellows and a wide range of national dental organisations.

Almost all the areas have been updated from the previous edition, which also involved staff from the Peninsula Dental School and was published in 2018.

The standards are focussed on practitioner processes rather than treatment outcomes, and the book also summarises over 100 standards, guidelines and advisory publications by the College and 50 other national and international bodies, and signposts to other relevant resources, organisations and legislation.

The new edition was developed by an editorial team including: Professor Ewen McColl , Head of the Peninsula Dental School; Professor Robert Witton , Professor of Community Dentistry; and Lorna Burns , Information Specialist and Associate Head of Postgraduate Taught Programmes. They also worked with Professor Chris Tredwin, former Head of the Peninsula Dental School, and general dental practitioners Dr Nicola Gore and Dr Susan Nelson.