A case for collaboration

Nina Lord presents a recent case study detailing a collaboration between a dentist and a dental therapist.

A patient contacted the practice for an appointment after seeing online promotions. They were interested in composite bonding due to being unhappy with the shape of the upper right lateral and the appearance of a diastema between the centrals. They had previously completed orthodontic treatment and remained happy with the alignment of the teeth, though their dog had recently damaged their retainer. The patient was also in the process of whitening their teeth at home.

I took a comprehensive medical history, showing that the patient took no medications, had no allergies, was a non-smoker and had never smoked. The patient was therefore found to be fit and well, as well as a regular dental attender at her usual practice. Dental charting was performed, along with BPE scores and an oral health assessment – which demonstrated good hygiene and no existing restorations. All of this information was shared with the dentist (Miten Mistry), who also checked function and clinical suitability for different treatments. Radiographs and photographs were taken to check for any pathology and complete the patient’s records.