The specialist lists were created by the General Dental Council (GDC) for the reassurance and protection of patients.

A dental specialist is an expert in their field. Specialists have spent many years after their basic dental degree in post-graduate education in order to gain the necessary experience and additional qualifications.

The title “Specialist” can only be used when approved by the GDC.  Currently there are only about 2000 registered specialists in the UK most of whom work in the hospital environment.
 
“The Specialist Lists in Distinctive Branches of Dentistry enable patients to identify registered dentists who have met certain requirements and been given the right by us to call themselves a ‘specialist’.  Any registered dentist can work in a particular branch of dentistry (such as orthodontics or oral surgery), but only those on our Specialist Lists can call themselves a 'specialist'.”

This means that not only do we have access to the latest techniques and procedures but we also have the experience, expertise and knowledge to help you find the right treatment for your dental problems.

There are many situations where a general dentist is not in a position to carry out the complexity of necessary treatment and it is at this stage that he/she may decide to refer a patient to a dental specialist. This is similar to a G.P. referring a patient to a hospital consultant.

It is our goal to work with your general dentist providing the treatment they request at whichever level it is requested.

We have, over the last 15years, worked with more than 500 dentists.

Your Dentist has referred you to us because:

• They trust us to provide you with the correct  and most upto date/unbiased advice for your problem.
• They know that any treatment provided will be to the best of our ability, using all the expertise available, and any problems encountered will be carefully and sympathetically managed.
• They trust us to deliver value for money.

Your dentist is kept informed about any treatment, which has been agreed upon. Once completed, we will write to your dentist explaining the treatment provided and results achieved, together with advising of any long term maintenance requirements. Your dentist will continue to care for your general dental needs.

All new patients to the practice need to be referred by their general dentist.
If you do not have a general dentist in most instances our reception staff will be able to help you locate a practitioner suitable to your needs.

We were the first, and are still the only, multidisciplinary referral dental centre in Scotland. This means that we only see patients on referral from other practitioners and you will only be treated by a registered dental specialist. Each and every day the specialists are carrying out complex challenging dental care to the very best of their abilities. With each specialist being qualified for a minimum of 15 years the practical experience and wisdom achieved really is second to none. Whatever problem you may have we will have encountered and managed a similar situation.

In addition, unlike many mulipractitioner practices or a dental hospital environment, at Edinburgh Dental Specialists, Scotland, we have managed to achieve a fully integrated team of specialist practitioners. This means that all our specialists meet weekly not only to discuss cases referred to to them and recent developments in their field, but also how to continue improving our service. Whoever you are referred to, you can be confident not only of the expertise of that specialist but the support and backup of the whole team. If you would prefer to see a different specialist to the one you are referred to we are more that happy to manage this. You can be confident of a similar standard of care and service delivery whoever you see.

Please click on the relevant treatment button from the drop down menu for comprehensive information regarding all treatment options. To summarize, we have Specialists registered on the following lists:

Prosthodontics - Replacement of missing teeth and the associated soft and hard tissues by prostheses (crowns, bridges, dentures) which may be fixed or removable, or may be supported and retained by implants. (This includes cosmetic dentistry) There are approximately 400 prosthodontists in the UK

Periodontics - diagnosis and treatment of gum disease. There are approximately 300 periodontists in the UK

Endodontics - root canal therapy. There are approximately 200 endodontists in the UK

Oral & Maxillo-facial Surgery - tooth removal, bone grafting, biopsies, sinus lifts, placement of dental implants. There are approximately 800 oral surgeons in the UK