Title: How well are Salford Royal Foundation Trust (SRFT) community dental services risk assessing caries and applying and prescribing fluoride?
Abstract:
Introduction: The dental patients that are seen at SRFT services often have a high caries risk due to many different reasons such as an inability to brush properly through either a disability or living circumstances. In 2007 Public Health England published a toolkit for dentists with guidance of preventative aids to help reduce tooth decay which includes appropriate fluoride intervention for patients.
Aims and Objectives: The aims of this retrospective study and audit was to find out if SRFT dental services are following fluoride intervention guidelines for every patient or whether more can be done to ensure we are helping our patients to prevent tooth decay.
Methodology: 120 child and adult examination notes were assessed at random from 6 different dentists (20 from each). The criteria used to assess the notes was whether patient’s oral hygiene status was documented, whether the patient had been caries risk assessed, and if high caries risk, was fluoride varnish or a fluoride prescription provided. Results: 83% of notes at the patient’s oral hygiene status documented, 82% of notes had been caries risk assessed and 49% of high caries risk patients had the appropriate fluoride intervention.
Conclusion: Improvements across all categories are required including what is documented in patient notes and following fluoride prevention guidelines to provide excellent care to our patients and help to reduce caries risk.
