From Volume 47, Issue 11, December 2020 | Pages 951-955
Effective communication is required when referring patients for extractions and surgical procedures. There are multiple notation systems used for the identification of teeth, making communication for dental extractions challenging. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the methods available to identify teeth and to propose a novel technique to identify erupted teeth for extraction.
Dental extractions are a common procedure carried out by many dental professionals. Often, prior to a dental extraction or surgical procedure, a referral is made from one dental professional to another. It is stated by the General Dental Council that, if you request a colleague to provide a treatment, you should make the request clear and give your colleague all the information they need.1 Effective communication when referring patients for extractions and surgical procedures is required.
Failure in communication and tooth identification when referring patients for dental extraction can contribute to surgical errors. Wrong tooth extraction is considered a ‘never event’ by the National Health Service and is regarded as equivalent to ‘wrong leg amputation.’ In 2016/17, 24% of wrong-site surgery was made up of wrong tooth/teeth extractions.2 This article summarizes the present methods used for tooth identification and proposes a novel method to help dental professionals improve communication and, therefore, theoretically reduce the risk of a ‘never event.’
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