Presentations 2020: OMFS

387 - “Off the Charts”: Palmer, FDI or Universal. Is their combined use compromising patient safety?

I Evans N Moran
Presented by: Isabel Evans
Prince Charles Hospital

Introduction The purpose of this poster is to ascertain which tooth notation system/systems are most commonly used in the U.K. and consider whether the use of various tooth notation systems leads to compromised patient care. Methods First, a literature review was conducted via The Electronic Library and Google Scholar. Twelve Dental Schools were then contacted via E-mail to establish which notation systems were taught to their undergraduate students. Next, a peer review was carried out. This involved inspecting the referral and response letters for five patients that the Restorative specialists had vetted in the Dental Hospital, prior to the introduction of electronic referrals. Results In a national survey conducted in 2016 by Wales Deanery Cardiff University, 12% of the 380 respondents admitted to extracting the wrong tooth. The report discusses how the use of various tooth notations can lead to confusion. The toolkit for dental extraction, Local Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (LocSSIPS), published by the Royal College of Surgeons, recommends the use of standardised tooth notation when carrying out exodontia. The survey results revealed Undergraduates are taught a mixture of tooth notations, however the most common are FDI and Palmer notation, with five of the seven respondents reporting its use in the curriculum. Palmer notation was found to be favoured by referring clinicians, on the other hand FDI notation proved more popular when replying. Conclusion The inconsistencies in tooth charting allow for a margin of error, which in turn can lead to wrong site surgery. “Extraction of the wrong tooth is the most common serious patient safety incident in dental practice. It is wrong site surgery, and therefore a “Never Event” as defined by the NHS in England and Wales." By utilising standardised ways to chart teeth in written treatment plans and surgical checklists, it should be possible to minimise the incidence of wrong tooth extraction.
Consent Statement: There are no details on individual patients reported within the abstract.

Poster