Implementation of a laboratory quality assurance program: the Louisville experience.
Remakes, or the refabrication of dental prostheses, can occur as a result of inherent inaccuracies in both clinical and laboratory procedures. Because dental schools manage large numbers of predoctoral dental students with limited familiarity and expertise as related to clinical prosthodontic techniques, it is likely these schools will experience an elevated incidence of laboratory remakes and their ramifications. The University of Louisville School of Dentistry, not unlike other dental schools, has experienced remakes associated with both fixed and removable prosthodontic procedures. Limitations in faculty standardization and variable enforcement of established preclinical protocols have been identified as variables associated with the high percentage of remakes documented. The purpose of this study was to introduce the implementation of a new multidepartmental quality assurance program designed to increase consistency and quality in both information provided to commercial dental laboratories and the prostheses returned. The program has shown to be advantageous in terms of cost-effectiveness and treatment outcomes. A statistically significant decrease in remake percentages has been recorded from inception of this program in December 2010 until December 2012. Furthermore, this program has resulted in more consistent communication between the dental school and commercial dental laboratories, among faculty members, and between faculty and students.
Department of General Dentistry and Oral Medicine, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, 501 S. Preston Street, Louisville, KY 40202;. mjmetz01@louisville.edu.
Michael J
MJ
Metz
Tamer
T
Abdel-Azim
Cynthia J
CJ
Miller
Wei-Shao
WS
Lin
Amirali
A
ZandiNejad
Gustavo M
GM
Oliveira
Dean
D
Morton
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000592:standards; D003761:Dental Impression Technique / Q000592:standards; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003779:Denture Design / Q000592:standards; D003778:Dentures / Q000592:standards*; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000592:standards; D005179:Faculty, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007574:Jaw Relation Record; D007629:Kentucky; D007754:Laboratories, Dental / Q000592:standards*; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000592:standards; D016730:Program Development; D017797:Prosthesis Coloring / Q000592:standards; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000193:education*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D012575:Schools, Dental; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015921:Dental Implants; D003764:Dental Materials
clinic management; clinical education; dental education; dental prostheses; laboratory remakes; prosthodontics; quality assurance