A clinical minimum data set for primary dental care

Objective To achieve consensus within primary dental care on the contents o f a clinical minimum data set to measure oral health status. Design Using the Delphi process a simple random sample of 30 LDCs and 10 CD S services in England were asked to rank a list off existing clinical indic ators in order of their perceived importance as a means of measuring oral h ealth. A nominated panel representing the stakeholder organisations of prim ary dental care reviewed this ranking and identified a core group of clinic al indicators to be included in a clinical minimum data set. Results An 80 percent response rate to the Delphi process was achieved. Con sensus was reached on a core group of 10 indicators, which can provide info rmation on patient's perceptions of pain, function and appearance, and prof essional measurements of caries, teeth present, periodontal disease, oral s epsis, presence of mucosal pathology and tooth wear. Conclusions A representative sample of primary care dentists in England and the key representative organisations of primary dental care achieved conse nsus on the contents of a clinical minimum data set to record oral health s tatus in primary dental care. This is a first step in standardising the mea surement of oral health status across primary care.