Table 1.

SDCEP guidance--topic selection criteria

				Current Guidance Topics
Selection Criteria				Conscious Sedation	Decontamination	Emergency Dental Care	Drug Prescribing	Oral Health Assessment	Dental Caries in Children	Practice Support Manual
1.	Is the topic related to:
	a)	a condition or process associated with significant morbidity or mortality?							X
	b)	interventions or practices that could:
		i)	significantly improve patient or carers' quality of life?			X			X
		ii)	reduce avoidable morbidity?			X	X		X
		iii)	reduce inequalities in health?			X			X
		iv)	prevent oral and dental disease?					X	X
	c)	a priority for the health service or government?		X	X	X	X	X	X	X
	d)	interventions or practices that might have a significant impact on the financial or other resources of the NHS or society in general?			X	X	X			X
	e)	interventions that the NHS could stop using without impairing cost-effective patient care?
2.	Will the proposed guidance help reduce or avoid inappropriate:
	a)	clinical practice?		X	X	X	X	X	X	X
	b)	variation in clinical practice?		X	X	X	X	X	X	X
	c)	variation in access to interventions or treatment?				X		X	X
3.	Will the guidance still be relevant at the expected date of publication?			X	X	X	X	X	X	X
4.	Are there any other reasons why guidance is urgently needed e.g., is there significant public concern?				X		X	X	X

Note: These selection criteria were adapted from the NICE and SIGN guidance process and are applied to all topics under consideration