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How often do I need to come and see you?

April 6, 2011 by Ian Kerr

This is a very common and entirely reasonable question that patients ask when standing at the reception desk preparing to leave. The simple answer is ” as often as it takes to keep your mouth healthy”.  This will be different for every patient who comes through the door and is almost entirely in their hands.

Any recall system needs to be based on clinical need and this is best determined by establishing a base line of health at the initial visit and then establishing a goal for treatment, which when achieved can then become the bench mark for health each time the patient comes in for review. So long as the bench mark is maintained then the dental health is good and the time in between visits can be increased or maintained depending on the individual patients preference. This is a long way from the conventional “come and see me every 6 months” being applied to every person, regardless of clinical need. There are lots of ways of establishing clinical need but a simple way that we use at StoneRock is to assess plaque scores to see how well the mouth is being cleaned and to measure how much inflammation in the gums their is. On top of this we look at risk factors such as reduced saliva flow, large existing restorations, previous decay activity and we can plan a maintenance schedule based around these findings. This schedule is not cast in stone and can be modified as and when factors change.

The NICE guidelines for dental reviews has been republished ( http://tinyurl.com/65b9bqo) and these underline the need for a varied approach such as the one we use. It should be remembered however that planning a strategy that caters for the whole country is a very broad brush to use and can never be used to answer the opening question on an individual basis. Only your dentist and hygienist can plan this with you, based on up to date information on the health of your mouth.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Behind the Headlines

About Ian Kerr

Dr Ian Kerr BDS qualified in 1989 from Newcastle University Dental School and has worked ever since in both private practice and hospital settings. Following a short stint in a busy general practice in the North East Dr Kerr went to live and work in Trinidad, where he learnt a wide range of surgical skills and developed an interest in the treatment of tempero-mandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). On returning to the UK in 1994 Dr Kerr worked in a prestigious private practice in Bromley in Kent. During his time there he completed extensive post graduate training in advanced restorative techniques and further advanced his interest in TMD.

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About StoneRock Dental Care

StoneRock Dental Care is a stunning dental practice in Hawkhurst, Nr Cranbrook on the Kent and East Sussex border. We provide every level of care, from routine family dental visits to complete cosmetic dental makeovers, including dental implants, teeth whitening, veneers, bridges and other cosmetic dental and facial aesthetic techniques.

We know how hard it can be to choose a dentist and we know how tough it can be to decide what treatment is right for you, therefore we put your comfort and your well being at the heart of every treatment that we provide.

You can contact us on 01580 752202 or info@stonerock.co.uk

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StoneRock Dental Care is a trading name of SR Moors Limited · Registered Office: Stonerock House, High Street, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4AG · Registered in England and Wales, Number: 6896953