Dental Procedures

Dental Procedures

GPs will not issue prescriptions for sedating medications (such as diazepam) prior to dental procedures.
Dentists should not direct patients to GPs requesting they prescribes sedating medications, such as diazepam.

If a dentist wishes to prescribe sedating medications for anxious patients that dentist should be responsible for issuing the prescription. The dental practitioner’s formulary, which is the list of drugs a dentist can prescribe, is found on the BNF dental practitioners formulary and includes Diazepam Tablets and Oral Solution.

If the dentist is treating a patient within their practice NHS contract, then the prescription should be on a FP14D form.

If the dentist is treating a patient privately, they should issue a private prescription.

GP surgeries are not able to provide advice or clearance for routine dental procedures when the medical history is non-complex. Dentists are trained and responsible for assessing dental treatment needs and any relevant medical considerations within their scope of practice, including if you are on blood thinning medication. If you have no significant or complex medical conditions, your dentist can proceed based on the information you provide directly to them, and no additional input from your GP is required.