Ayah Mohamed
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
Title: The impact of replacing removable retainers on the Orthodontic Department
Biography
Biography: Ayah Mohamed
Abstract
The National Health Service in the United Kingdom currently offers one course of orthodontic treatment for patients who qualify for treatment and will review them for up to 1 year post completion of treatment during which any lost or broken retainers may need to be replaced.At present, these patients are overbooked onto busy clinics carrying several negative implications for the entire team.
To determine the various implications of replacing removable retainers on the Orthodontic Department and to identify possible solutions, a retrospective audit was conducted at the Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between January and December 2018. The records of 22 patients who required replacement removable retainers were reviewed. The overall cost of fabrication and delivery of a removable retainer was calculated through discussions with trust financial analysts, clinicians and lab technicians.
A total of 22 patients were provided with replacement removable retainers. The appointments incurred an average cost of £255 with a patient contribution of only £40. A total of 44 appointments were required, resulting in overbooking of orthodontic clinics leading to significant stress to both the clinicians and lab technicians.
In conclusion, the process of providing patients with replacement removable retainers currently results in a financial loss to the department as well as an increased workload and stress to both the clinician and laboratory. We recommend increasing the replacement fee to provide a more financially sustainable service. Furthermore, offering patients the option to purchase a second set of retainers at debond can result in fewer overbooked clinics.