Alcohol and the dental team: Relevance, risk, role and responsibility

An enquiry about alcohol use, whenever a patient presents for dental treatment, is now firmly established within the taking of a social history. Dental professionals are well placed to provide relevant alcohol advice. Indeed, it is now embedded within the training of undergraduates as required by the General Dental Council (GDC) in Preparing for Practice.1 Practitioners therefore need to be aware of recent changes in alcohol guidelines commissioned by the UK Chief Medical Officers. This paper explores alcohol-related harm, screening tools to facilitate an enquiry, and our roles and responsibilities for providing alcohol advice accepting the limited time available within the dental appointment.