An audit of study casts used to monitor tooth wear in general practice

Objective To assess the outcome of compliance of advice sent to patients and dentists about monitoring tooth wear in general practice. Method Postal questionnaires were sent to 70 patients and their dentists requesting information on the outcome of letters of advice sent to general dental practitioners regarding monitoring tooth wear with study casts. They also requested information about the reasons for the patients' referral, the outcome of treatment and whether study models had been taken. Results Replies were received from 60 dentists (87%) and 53 patients (75%). Of these, 16 patients and 16 dentists had moved from their recorded address. Study casts were reported as having been taken by 23 dentists (38%) and reported by 18 patients (34%). The most common reason for referral was advice about monitoring the wear and the appearance of their teeth. Conclusions The compliance of the patients and dentists in monitoring tooth wear by using study casts in general practice was not successful. It raises issues regarding the value of consultant advice letters to this common clinical problem.