Dental
Disclaimer
These guidelines have been produced to guide clinical decision making for general practitioners (GPs). They are not strict protocols. Clinical common-sense should be applied at all times. These clinical guidelines should never be relied on as a substitute for proper assessment with respect to the particular circumstances of each case and the needs of each patient. Clinicians should also consider the local skill level available and their local area policies before following any guideline.
|
Introduction
The Dental Department at PCH provides dental care for children and adolescents who have a medical condition that will place them at risk if they are managed outside a tertiary centre (for example coagulopathy or significant airway risk) or for those children whose medical condition is the primary cause for their oral condition, for example cleft lip and palate.
Orthodontic treatment is only available to children and adolescents registered with the Medicare Cleft Lip and Palate Scheme.
The Dental department provides an emergency service for all children and adolescents up until their 16th birthday.
This service provides basic emergency care for:
- Traumatic orofacial injuries
- Oral haemorrhage
- Odontogenic infections
- Emergency pain relief
Patients will then be referred back to external agencies for definitive and follow up care.
Pre-referral investigations and management
How to refer
- Routine non-urgent referrals from all specialist rooms, GP’s, WACHS, Nurse Practitioners, private hospitals or other non-medical referrers should go to PCH.Referrals@health.wa.gov.au
- For urgent referrals (less than seven days), please call Perth Children’s Hospital Switchboard on 6456 2222 and discuss referral with the Dental registrar during office hours and the on-call dentist after hours.
Essential information to include in your referral
- Dental condition requiring care
- A comprehensive medical history
- Any other details relevant to eligibility
- Patient demographics including parent contact details
- The referral needs to include the name of the Dental Consultant/ Registrar the referrer spoke to.
Useful resources
If your patient is not eligible, you may consider referral to one of the following dental service providers.
| Reviewer/Team: |
Dr John Winter, Head of Dental |
Last reviewed: |
Aug 2021 |
|
|
Review date: |
Aug 2024 |
This document can be made available in alternative formats on request for a person with a disability.