The Reduction of Broken Appointments in General Dental Practice

Purpose of study Accumulation of time lost because of broken appointments in general dental practice can lead to an inefficiently-run practice and may also lead to reduced financial income. This study assessed the reasons for patients failing to attend and analysed the effect of two simple interventions in reducing the numbers of broken appointments. Basic procedures This study audited the causes of broken appointments in a Glasgow dental practice over a four-month period and, in a second four-month period, analysed the effect of using two new methods of patient information in reducing the number of broken appointments in two target groups of the practice population. Main findings The majority of patients failing to attend for dental treatment were unemployed. Simple changes to recall letters and appointment cards significantly reduced the rates of failed appointments in patients attending the practice. Principal conclusions Simple modification to existing practice systems (recall letters and appointment cards) led to a statistically significant reduction in the number of broken appointments.

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The readability and utility of general dental practice patient information leaflets: an evaluation

BDJ ◽

10.1038/sj.bdj.4808757 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 178 (9) ◽

pp. 329-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

J T Newton

Keyword(s):

Patient Information ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Patient Information Leaflets ◽

Information Leaflets ◽

General Dental Practice ◽

Practice Patient

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Therapeutics

Oxford Handbook of Clinical Dentistry ◽

10.1093/med/9780199679850.003.0013 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 574-602

Author(s):

David A. Mitchell ◽

Laura Mitchell ◽

Lorna McCaul

Keyword(s):

Dental Treatment ◽

Antiviral Drugs ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Hospital Practice ◽

General Dental Practice ◽

Inflammatory Drugs ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Contents. Prescribing. Analgesics in general dental practice. Analgesics in hospital practice. Anti-inflammatory drugs. Antidepressants. Antiemetics. Anxiolytics, sedatives, hypnotics, and tranquillizers. Antibiotics—1. Antibiotics—2. Antifungal and antiviral drugs. Antihistamines and decongestants. Drugs influencing dental treatment. Miscellaneous. Alarm bells.

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An Audit of Dental General Anaesthetic Referral from a General Dental Practice in South Wales

Primary Dental Care ◽

10.1308/135576109789389441 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol os16 (4) ◽

pp. 143-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Wayne Richards ◽

Kamran Razzaq ◽

Gary Higgs

Keyword(s):

Dental Treatment ◽

Continuing Care ◽

General Anaesthetic ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Treatment Pathways ◽

Individual Level ◽

General Dental Practice ◽

Number Of Teeth ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Deprived Areas

Aims The aim of this audit was to quantify the number of patients that received a dental general anaesthetic (DGA) between 1999 and 2007 following referral from a general dental practice. It also aimed to establish the deprivation status of those referred and to investigate further dental treatment pathways of these patients. Methods Data were collected from all patient records held by the practice. The information collected included: postcode, gender, age at the close of the study, age at time of DGA, reason for DGA, number of teeth extracted, and details of further ongoing care. In the absence of individual level socioeconomic data, a deprivation score (derived from the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation [WIMD]) was appended to each record in order to provide a measure of deprivation based on the postcode of the patient. Results Two hundred and eighty-seven patients were referred for DGA during the nine-year period. Their mean age was 9.4 years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.4, 10.4) and 30.7% were children aged five years or younger. The most common reason for DGA was dental caries. The mean number of teeth extracted was 4.5 (95% CI = 4.1, 4.9). Patients living in deprived areas were more likely to be referred for DGA. Of the 87 who did not subsequently attend for continuing care, 72 were from deprived areas compared with 15 from more affluent areas ( P=0.003). Conclusions In proportion to the number of patients registered at a practice, the number of referrals for DGAs was relatively low. Patients categorised as deprived (based on their residential postcode) received more referrals for DGAs than those from more affluent areas. Patients from deprived locations were significantly more likely not to attend for continuing care after their DGA than those from more affluent areas.

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