Standards in dentistry

Standards in Dentistry is a comprehensive manual bringing together standards and guidelines for primary care dentistry.

Acting as a guide to personal or practice-based quality assessment, it is an indispensable compendium for the conscientious oral health professional, and sets out specific basic and aspirational standards covering:

  • consultation and diagnosis
  • making and receiving referrals
  • paediatric dentistry
  • orthodontics
  • management of acute pain
  • periodontics
  • direct (plastic), coronal and root surface restorations
  • indirect coronal restorations (crowns, bridges, onlays, veneers)
  • endodontics
  • removable partial dentures
  • complete dentures
  • oral medicine
  • minor oral surgery
  • implant dentistry
  • management of dental trauma

It also summarises almost 70 standards and guidelines publications by the FGDP(UK) and 30 other organisations relating to the above areas and to:

  • emergency dental care
  • examination and record-keeping
  • infection prevention and control
  • medical emergencies
  • medications management
  • oral health
  • pathology
  • patient information
  • practice management
  • prevention
  • radiography
  • restorative dentistry
  • risk management and communication
  • sedation
  • special care dentistry
  • staff training

Standards in Dentistry combines the functions of two previous FGDP(UK) publications, Self-Assessment Manual and Standards (SAMS) and Guidelines for Structure and Process in Dental Practice, and the first edition was edited by Kenneth Eaton and published in 2006.

The second edition, published in 2018, is the result of a complete revision to reflect the contemporary clinical, organisational and dento-legal contexts in which dentistry is now practised, as well as changes in the evidence base over the intervening years.

Standards in Dentistry is available in the following formats:

Further CGDent resources

PDJ Archive

  • When Less is More: Minimally invasive, Evidence-Based Treatments for Dentine Caries in Primary Teeth – The Hall Technique and Silver Diamine Fluoride by Waraf Al-Yaseen, Nassar Seifo, Shannu Bhatia, Nicola Innes (January 2022)
  • Orthodontics in Primary Care by Nairn Wilson (December 2016)
  • Complications in Endodontics by Bhavin Bhuva, Omar Ikram (November 2020)
  • An Evaluation of A Practice-Based Minor Oral Surgery Service by Thomas Anthony Dyer, Jessica Ga Lai Lau (October 2020)
  • Periodontal Disease: Its Impact on Restorative Dentistry by Shauna Culshaw (March 2017)

CGDent members can unlock these articles by using the ‘search’ function in the PDJ Archive – you will need to be logged in to the CGDent website.

CPD webinars, news & blogs

Endodontics – 4 July 2024

Thursday 4 July 2024, 6.30pm, Solihull CGDent Midlands Peer Review & Pizza This peer review session on endodontics is part of the CGDent Midlands Peer Review & Pizza series, which aims to share expertise, experience and knowledge as well as encouraging discussion on a diverse range of topics within dentistry. Sessions take place every two months and free pizza is provided. The session will cover common issues with endodontics and how some…

Interviewees sought to help develop clinical risk assessment tool for GDPs

General dental practitioners are being sought to support research towards the development of a clinical risk assessment tool, and the College would like to encourage…

Paediatric dentistry

Tuesday 6 February 2024, 6.30pm, Solihull This Study Club session is postponed. The next session takes place on Tuesday 5 March at 6.30pm, on the…

BSRD spring meeting 2023

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. IF YOU HAVE BOOKED A TICKET TO THIS EVENT, THE BSRD WILL CONTACT YOU SHORTLY. FOLLOW THE…

CGDent Midlands Study Club for Early Career GDPs: Endodontics

Tuesday 21 February 2023, 6.30pm-8.30pm, Solihull The new CGDent Midlands study club for Early Career GDPs, aims to share expertise, experience and knowledge as well as…

Join us | Sign up for College newsletter | Member Register | Patients and public

Privacy policy | Cookie policy | Contact

College of General Dentistry (CGDent), 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX
Company Registration No. 2586636 | Registered Charity No. 1002769