Clinical Screening Dentist Newsletter

CLINICAL SCREENING DENTIST NEWSLETTER

UPDATES AND ISSUES

Second Quarter 2017

Important dates to remember:  Mark your appointment book and make travel plans early for the Clinical Screening Seminars in 2017.

REPORTING YOUR CLINICAL FINDINGS FOR PROSTHETIC SCREENINGS

We have received a few Prosthetic Screening Reports, sections for reporting missing teeth, teeth to be extracted, and an evaluation of the denture base, denture teeth, retention, centric occlusion and vertical relation are all addressed, but the patient actually was not examined.  Apparently, provider information is copied on the justification of need Prosthesis (DC-054) form.  Therefore, the provider clinically examined and accurately diagnosed the patient’s condition.  We are acutely aware that the DC-054 form may contain information that is either unrelated or even contradictory to the patient’s oral condition.                                                                                                                                                                          

The recommendations section of the screening report are for reporting your clinical findings which may or may not match those on the DC-054 form.   Review the screening packets in advance of the screening examination, mark the type of appliance requested on the Treatment Authorization Reques(TAR), but additional fields should be addressed during the actual screening examination.

PROSTHETIC SCREENINGS – IMPORTANT CURRENT ISSUES

The Denti-Cal Program is receiving screening reports with significant deficiencies that require urgent corrective action as directed by the Quality Management department.  Please be sure to follow the general guidelines delineated below:

• Personal comments written on screening reports.
  The screening report should contain your clinical observations recorded during the screening examination. Do not include your personal opinions about the dentist, how the dentist submits documentation, missing pages in the screening packet, or your comments about the requirements of the Denti-Cal program.  As the screening report is a legal document, comments need to support your recommendations.
• Expect an increase in postoperative complaint screening reports.
  The continuity of adult dental services has resulted in an expectation for an increase in the amount of these screenings. Most patient complaints involve prosthetics in which patients are unhappy with or have issues with the treatment they have received. There are two forms which have to be filled out completely. Please keep comments clinical and objective.
• Evaluate both arches for prosthetic screenings.
  When a prosthetic appliance is requested for only one arch, it is essential for the clinical screener to report the condition of the opposing arch – including remaining natural teeth/implants and/or the condition of an existing prosthetic appliance.  Reports missing this information are considered incomplete.
  

SELF-EVALUATION OF SCREENING REPORTS FOR COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY

Before mailing a complete screening report, review the following:

• Have all pages of the TAR been reviewed?

• Have all procedures on the TAR been addressed? (Circle tooth numbers on the
  Pre-Operative Screening Report to draw your attention to the teeth requiring review).
• Are all the required boxes checked?

• Is the screening report legible?
• Were all of the questions asked on the Delta Dental Attachment form answered on the screening report?

• Can the treatment request be processed by a Denti-Cal Dental consultant who reviews the X-rays with this screening report?

CONVALESCENT MILEAGE RATE CHANGE FOR 2017

From May 1, 2017, the reimbursement rate for convalescent screening mileage will decrease to 53.5 cents per mile, per IRS guidelines.