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Child’s dental abscess and how he has still not been treated

Posted By crocodilehq79

"Child’s dental abscess and how he has still not been treated"

About: Adult Health & Support Services / Public Dental Services

(as a parent/guardian),

We recently  presented our child to our local dentist as he had gum swelling next to a tooth with a cavity. We were told that he had a dental abscess which would need specialised treatment at hospital and he would be referred urgently to the Public Dental Service. He was given a strong antibiotic in the meantime.

We expected him to be treated within 1 week max given the serious complications that can arise with an abscess and because he is a child. After two weeks of no contact from PDS, I called PDS to enquire when we could expect an appointment and was told that there is a significant wait…even for urgent dental treatment. I was even told that position in the queue is dependent on how many antibiotic courses a child has needed. This implied that if we asked our dentist for another antibiotic he would be bumped up the queue!

We are now nearly 4 weeks down the line and my son still has swelling. We have not been contacted with details of an appointment for something which can be very serious. We are now in limbo, and waiting on our Son complaining that he is in excruciating pain once the infection returns. This service is not good enough!

We are hardworking parents paying into the NHS and can’t get the service our Son needs. It’s a disgrace! Parents like us are being forced to go down the private route every time our children need care. We have already needed to take our children down the private route in the past for non-related issues just so they could be treated. Why should we have to do this though!?

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Responses

Response from Geraldeen Irving, Clinical Director, Public Dental Services, South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership 6 days ago
Geraldeen Irving
Clinical Director, Public Dental Services,
South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership

Submitted on 26/08/2025 at 12:18
Published on Care Opinion at 12:29

Dear crocodilehq79,

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. I am very sorry to hear about your son’s dental abscess and understand how worrying waiting for treatment can be for both children and their families. Not having a clear timeframe can understandably add to that anxiety.

I’m not sure where the information about treatment within one week came from, but I apologise that our current waiting times have not met your expectations. Due to high demand for dental treatment under general anaesthetic across Lanarkshire, waiting times have always exceeded one week. Over the past year, we have been working closely with the Health Board to reduce these wait times and have made significant progress. However, this remains a priority for us as we fully appreciate the importance of timely treatment for patients, families, and our team.

Part of our process involves prioritising referrals based on clinical urgency, which is why we ask about the number of antibiotic courses prescribed. Please be assured this is not to encourage unnecessary antibiotic use, but to better understand the severity and duration of the infection alongside the information provided by the referring dentist.

As you mentioned your son still has swelling, please send his name, date of birth, and address to our secure dental office email marked ‘For the Attention of Geraldeen Irving’ at dental.office@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk so I can assist you further.

Thank you again for reaching out.

Yours faithfully,
Geraldeen Irving

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