The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of the National Health Service (NHS) produces guidance for the health sector on a range of issues. Specific guidance on dental subjects has been issued in relation to third molar removal, dental recall interval and HealOzone therapy. In addition, there are examples of more generic guidance which may also be relevant to dental practice. This paper discusses the background and functions of NICE and summarizes the guidance of relevance to the dental team.
Clinical relevance: NICE guidance provides an authoritative summary of the current state of knowledge on certain clinical issues and gives guidance for healthcare workers. The authors discuss how this guidance should impact upon clinical practice.