SPS resources
SPS resources provide advice and information on different aspects of medicines use, relevant to dentistry.
Interactions and adverse effects
SPS articles can be used to check for clinically relevant interactions and adverse effects in dentistry. Including:
- Considering interactions with local anaesthetics in dentistry (SPS page)
- Managing interactions with local anaesthetics in dentistry (SPS page)
- Managing reactions to dental local anaesthetic injections (SPS page)
- Managing interactions between macrolides and statins (SPS page)
- Managing interactions with methotrexate (SPS page)
- Identifying risk factors for developing a long QT interval (SPS page)
- Considering fluoride and accidental ingestion of toothpaste (SPS page)
Prescribing
We provide advice to support prescribing in the following dental scenarios:
- Using dental antibiotic prophylaxis for hydrocephalus shunts (SPS page)
- Considerations for artificial saliva products in dentistry (SPS page)
- Prescribing specific artificial saliva products in dentistry (SPS page)
- How should adults with cancer be managed by general dental practitioners if they need dental treatment? (SPS page)
Supplying medicines
Use these resources to understand how patients can obtain medicines or devices after dental treatment:
- Supplying medicines and medical devices: advice for dental teams (SPS page)
- Supplying Prescription Only Medicines: advice for dental teams (SPS page)
- Supplying P and GSL medicines: advice for dental teams (SPS page)
- Supplying medical devices: advice for dental teams (SPS page)
- Labelling and packaging medicines supplied by dental teams (SPS page)
Controlled drugs
This series of pages aims to help dental teams understand how to manage controlled drugs safely and legally:
- Managing controlled drugs for dental teams (SPS page)
- Controlled drugs governance for dental teams (SPS page)
- Managing controlled drugs held as stock for dental teams (SPS page)
- Prescribing controlled drugs for dental teams (SPS page)
- Storing and recording controlled drugs for dental teams (SPS page)
- Managing controlled drugs waste for dental teams (SPS page)
Pregnancy
SPS guidance outlines key risks and principles to ensure safe, informed decisions when prescribing in pregnancy. These pages are relevant to dental care:
- The risks and principles of prescribing in pregnancy (SPS page)
- Pain: treatment during pregnancy (SPS page)
Breastfeeding
The SPS Drugs in Lactation Advisory Service provides advice on medicines use during breastfeeding. Relevant topics for dental teams include:
- Using paracetamol during breastfeeding (SPS page)
- Using NSAIDS during breastfeeding (SPS page)
- Using tetracycline antibiotics during breastfeeding (SPS page)
- Using macrolide antibiotics during breastfeeding (SPS page)
- Using penicillin antibiotics during breastfeeding (SPS page)
- Using metronidazole during breastfeeding (SPS page)
Other resources
In addition to our own resources, we recommend the following resources. Access is free unless stated otherwise.
Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry – Good Practice Guidelines
Published by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) which is now part of the College of General Dentistry. Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry provides practical guidance to dentists for antimicrobial prescribing. . The guidance advises on choice of agent, dose and course duration and applies to all dental settings.The guidance, which advises on choice of agent, dose and course duration, applies to all dental settings.
The guidance can be viewed online (free registration required). A pdf version that can be searched or printed is only available to members of the college.
Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme
The Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) offers user-friendly, evidence-based guidance and recommendations and is endorsed for use in England.
SDCEP guidance is written for dental teams but is useful for all healthcare professionals considering the implications of medicines when patients require dental treatment.
Anticoagulants
Management of Dental Patients Taking Anticoagulants or Antiplatelet Drugs provides recommendations for dental treatment of patients taking DOACs, warfarin, antiplatelet drugs and LMWHs.
MRONJ
Guidance on Oral Health Management of Patients at Risk of Medication-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw includes advice for patients and dispensers.
Endocarditis prophylaxis
Advice for dental teams on the identification and management of patients at risk of infective endocarditis. Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis – March 2026 provides practical advice for dental teams implementing NICE recommendations. Including:
Prescribing guidance
Drug Prescribing for Dentistry provides dentally-relevant prescribing information from the BNF and BNFC, presented in a user-friendly format. It provides advice on:
- Anxiety
- Odontogenic pain (toothache)
- Dry mouth
- Oral/dental infections – Bacterial, Fungal, Viral
- Ulceration & inflammation
British National Formulary and BNFC
The British National Formulary (BNF) and BNF for Children (BNFC) contain the Dental Practitioners’ Formulary listing medicines dentists can prescribe on NHS prescriptions (FP10D).
They provide guidance on Prescribing in dental practice, with links to relevant sections of the BNF. Topics include, prescription writing and medical emergencies in dental practice.
There are also relevant treatment summaries.
Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS)
Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) provide advice on oral health for primary care practitioners.
Addison’s Disease Self-Help Group
The Addison’s Self-Help Group (ADSHG) publishes advice for dentists on treating individuals with Addison’s disease. It includes advice on ‘steroid cover’ for dental procedures.
British Dental Association
The British Dental Association (BDA) (subscription required) produces various advice sheets related to medicines.
British Dental Journal – DMAS series
A series published in the British Dental Journal (BDJ) in 2020 based on questions to the SPS Dental Medicines Advice Service received over 10 years. They address common issues encountered in dentistry (subscription required):
- UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service: questions asked by dentists – part 1: prescribing regulations and medicines use
- UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service: questions asked by dentists – part 2: drugs used for medical emergencies in dental practice
- UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service – questions asked by dentists: part 3 – prescribing of anxiolytic medications in dental practice
- UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service: questions asked by dentists – part 4: prescribing of high-strength fluoride toothpastes and use of fluoride varnishes in dental practice
- UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service: questions asked by dentists – part 5: prescribing for oromucosal diseases and dry mouth
Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention
Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention supports dental teams in providing high-quality preventive care. It includes advice for the use of topical fluoride.
Summaries of Product Characteristics
All licensed medicines have a Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC), the document which describes the properties and officially approved conditions of use of a medicine.
All UK SPCs, including those for dental local anaesthetics and branded high-strength fluoride toothpastes, are available via the MHRA products page.
Many, but not all, SPCs are also included in the electronic Medicines Compendium.
Prescribers need to know the licensed status of medicines they prescribe; using medicines outside of their license is considered ‘off-label’.
Reporting adverse effects to the Yellow Card Scheme
The dental team are encouraged to report suspected adverse reactions to medicines, medical devices plus other healthcare products including e-cigarettes, to the Yellow Card Scheme.
Get in touch
If information is not available from the resources listed, or if your case is complex, our Dental Medicines Advice service (SPS page) may be able to help. We provide information and advice to healthcare professionals including dental teams on medicines used in dentistry or which may impact dental treatment.