In December 2017 the Local Professional Dental Network, as part of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, launched the Saving Smiles Trauma Toolkit. This aims to follow in the footsteps of the Dental Trauma Guide and the work of Dental Trauma UK by providing a toolkit and framework for the diagnosis and management of dental trauma in the primary care setting.

The toolkit has been co-authored by a team from Primary Dental Services, Community Dental Services, Public Health England and specialist maxillofacial, paediatric and restorative services. It is full of essential information about best practice in trauma care with algorithms for the management of differing injuries that can be stored on computer desktops or printed and hung in practices. It also includes information on managing child patients, safeguarding and the longer term consequences of dental trauma.

The ambition is that dentists can and should feel confident managing dental trauma. This will prevent potentially catastrophic delays in care and facilitate the recognition and management of endodontic complications should they arise.

Practitioners wishing to access the guide outside Greater Manchester can sign up at: https://www.dental-referrals.org/my-courses/. Registration is free and practitioners will also find a modular continuing professional education programme with four hours of free certified CPD as they work through the guide.

For more information contact James Darcey at james.darcey@cmft.nhs.uk.