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About SAAD

The Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry is a dental charity dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in pain and anxiety control for dentistry. Often referred to as SAAD (pronounced to rhyme with ‘card’), the society has developed from a small study club in the late 1950s into one of the UK’s largest postgraduate teaching organisations for dentistry. The society’s main function is providing postgraduate education by running courses encouraging the safe provision of conscious sedation for dentistry. A major provision is also made for the training of dental nurses assisting in the procedures for conscious sedation and the management of associated complications. SAAD’s philosophy is that of team training. Please see the Courses pages for further details. SAAD’s other activities include providing scientific seminars, giving expert advice to other bodies including the Department of Health and the General Dental Council; providing experts for guidelines and standards documents; giving expert evidence to the courts and providing individual support and advice to members. The society produces a journal 'SAAD Digest' published twice a year, each March and September, and also the SAAD Newsletter also published twice a year, each June and November. For past copies of the Digest please see the SAAD Digest section. SAAD funds three memorial prize awards for original work with special categories for dental nurses and undergraduates, and also a PhD. (See Prizes) Membership of the society is open to any registered medical or dental practitioner, dental nurse or dental therapist.

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SAAD Constitution

The latest amendments to the SAAD Constitution were approved on the 21st April 2006.

The SAAD Bye-Laws were updated in June 2025.
Memebrs can request a copy of the Bye-laws by emailing contact@saad.org.uk

(Charity Number 1107420)

 



 

SAAD Prizes & Grants

Please refer to SAAD's current guidance before submitting your essay, report or abstract.

 

Inhalation Sedation Machine Loan Scheme

The SAAD Inhalation Sedation Loan Scheme is currently paused.

We will update this webpage as soon as further information is available.

Updated July 2024

 

For Word and PDF documents (indicated by icons) you can right click and choose Save Target As... to save them to your computer.

 

 



New Documents



Uploaded  03.02.2025

 



Recent Documents



 

NHS England >> Clinical standards for dental anxiety management (2024)

 

Uploaded 20.07.2024


Dental Sedation and Breastfeeding Factsheet

The Breastfeeding Network

Uploaded 06.07.2024


Uploaded 04.04.2023


The use of general anaesthesia in special care dentistry: A clinical guideline for the British Society for Disability and Oral Health (2022)

 


IACSD

IACSD Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care (V1.1) – 2020 Report

 


Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care and Accreditation - link to the RCS website (for IACSD & STAC) NB: The role of the IACSD Accreditation Sub-Committee was taken over by the Sedation Training Accreditation Committee (STAC) in June 2017. The procedure for course accreditation remains the same but the email address for applications has changed to stac@rcseng.ac.uk.

FAQs on the IACSD page of the RCSEng website


SSPS

SAAD Safe Sedation Practice Scheme – March 2025 revision


SDCEP

NHS Education for Scotland. Conscious Sedation in Dentistry Dental Clinical Guidance 3rd Ed (SDCEP)

 


Commissioning Dental Services: Service Standards for Conscious Sedation in a Primary Care Setting




SAAD Documents

SAAD Safe Sedation Practice Scheme - 2023

Referral for Dentistry with Conscious Sedation. A referral form (in conjunction with DSTG)

Toolkit for Conscious Sedation Research

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External Documents

The following three documents constitute the current national guidance...

Safe Sedation Practice for Healthcare Procedures: Standards and Guidance

IACSD Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care (2020)

Sedation in Children and Young People: National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2010)

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Further documents of interest...

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'A Conscious Decision'

A joint report by the CMO & CDO on General Anaesthesia and Sedation.

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DSTG Logbook of Clinical Experience in Conscious Sedation (download)

When you need further space for experience notes you can simply print off page 3 again

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The following links are being updated - if the document is not available please try again later, or email contact@saad.org.uk

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'Guidelines for the Appointment of Dentists with a Special Interest (DwSI) in Conscious Sedation'

A joint report by the DoH and Faculty of General Dental Practice

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Indicator of Sedation Need (IOSN) - Questionnaire for Patients

Advice on how this should be used can be found in the SAAD Digest.

Coulthard P. The Indicator of Sedation Need (IOSN).SAAD Digest 2012;

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Midazolam: NPSA Rapid Response Report RRR011 (1) & Controlled Drug Regulations

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Sedation in Dentistry: Undergraduate Training

Guidelines for Teachers

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Training for Safe Practice in Advanced Sedation Techniques for Adult Patients

A Discussion Paper

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Training in Conscious Sedation for Dentistry

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Standards for Postgraduate Education

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The Competent Graduate

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SAAD Symposium Past Programmes

2024 Who does what to whom, where and when?

2023 Caring for an increasingly complex population - personal insights and personalised care

2022 The best way to predict your future is to create it

2021 Thinking Outside the Box

2020 Symposium postponed due to covid pandemic

2019 SAAD Symposium in Manchester

2018 Challenges for the Future

2017 SAAD Diamond Jubilee. A Strong Foundation for a Bright Future

2016 Sedation is Alive and Well in General Dental Practice

2015 Dental Sedation: Staying Ahead of the Curve

2014 Drugs: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2013 Commissioning Sedation: Delivering for Patients

2012 Who Needs Sedation?

2011 Conscious Sedation: Beyond the Basics

2010 Dental Sedation 2010: New Guidance and Best Practice

2009 Practical Sedation: Trances, Needles & Consent

2008 Fundamentals of Safety Culture in Sedation Practice

2007 Sedation in Primary Care: Progress and Politics