URGENT DENTAL INDICATIONS for Oral surgery include:
- Traumatic Oro-Antral Communication (OAC)
- Fractured tuberosity.
Patients with a dental infection with systemic involvement (feeling generally unwell, malaise or pyrexia), trismus, stridor, a change in voice quality or difficulty in swallowing or breathing should be referred to OMFS as an emergency- please phone the specialty directly. This may necessitate admission through Accident and Emergency (A&E) at St John’s Hospital.
Please note that it remains the responsibility of the referrer to provide or secure any necessary treatment or advice (including emergency / urgent care) until the patient is assessed by the service.
CLINICIANS ONLY can use the following number for urgent clinical queries relating to Oral Surgery. This is not for use by patients who should contact their dentist or GP if they need help. This is not a referral pathway. If a referral is being made then please do so via SCI gateway .
0131 536 2221 for patients living in Edinburgh, Midlothian or East Lothian. Calls will be accepted Monday to Friday (9:30 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 16:00)
For the WEST LOTHIAN PATIENTS – phone number is St John’s switchboard and ask for Maxillofacial on call.
Please note that the level of urgency will be decided by the receiving clinician.
How to refer:
The referral should be made via SCI Gateway to the ‘Oral Health Service’. Referrals should be completed as fully as possible including any information which may result in difficulty engaging with the service. Sci Gateway referrals with inadequate information risk rejection and paper referrals are no longer accepted.
Relevant radiographs / periodontal charts / images should be included in your referral. These can be sent as an ‘attachment’ in SCI Gateway (maximum file size of 2MB, with a total attachment capacity of 5MB). If you, have images exceeding the file size or have relevant non digital images, please use an alternative option for the transfer of images.
