Update to Drug Prescribing For Dentistry guidance

SDCEP has recently published an update to its Drug Prescribing for Dentistry guidance. The guidance provides advice for dental practitioners on prescribing in primary care dental practice. While there have been regular updates to the prescribing information to reflect changes to the BNF and BNFC, the main guidance text has not been updated since publication of the third edition in 2016. SDCEP initiated a review of the guidance in 2025 and the ‘Bacterial Infections’ section is the first to be updated. The remaining sections of the guidance will be updated in due course.

The main changes to the ‘Bacterial Infections’ section include a revised introductory section with new information on antibiotic stewardship, recognising sepsis and providing safety-netting advice. Prescribing advice for dental abscess has been updated, including amendments to antibiotic course durations and a clear expectation of review at 3 days for patients prescribed antibiotics. This is supported by a new 3-day review supporting tool. Clearer advice has been provided for the use of second-line antibiotics, with amendments to the recommended dose for clindamycin and clarithromycin and removal of co-amoxiclav. The advice for the management of sinusitis has also been reviewed. The bacterial infections management guide has been updated to reflect these changes. The updated guidance is available for users in the UK via the Dental Prescribing website.

N.B. The Dental Prescribing website has also been updated to be consistent with BNF 91 (March - September 2026) and BNFC 2025-26.