title: Preventing wrong tooth extraction: experience in development and implementation of an outpatient safety checklist.
abstract: Extraction of the wrong tooth or teeth is a serious and avoidable clinical error causing harm to the patient. All NHS Trusts in England are required to use a surgical safety checklist in operating theatres to prevent incorrect site surgery and ensure safe management of patients. However, the majority of patients have dental extractions and other oral surgical procedures undertaken on an outpatient basis and these patients are also at risk of having an incorrect site surgical procedure such as a wrong tooth extraction. We describe our experience in developing, introducing and refining a surgical safety checklist for outpatient oral surgery along with the key strategic actions needed to ensure effective cultural change and optimum patient safety in the outpatient setting.
authors.affiliation: University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6FH.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saksena
authors.affiliation: University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6FH.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.affiliation: University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6FH.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6FH.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.affiliation: University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6FH.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ashley
mesh_terms: D057189:Checklist; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors; D010045:Outpatients; D061214:Patient Safety; D013222:State Medicine; D014081:Tooth Extraction