The adaption and implementation of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist for dental procedures

Objective The objective of this study is to systematically adapt the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist for use in dentistry. Study design Expert consensus panel. Setting, materials and methods Using the 'WHO adaptation guidance', the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist was assessed and adapted by an expert panel using the Delphi technique. The newly developed checklist was piloted on a sample of 40 patients who were referred for the placement of dental implants at an implant referral centre. Results The WHO Dental Safe Surgery Checklist was developed. Conclusions This study presents an adaptation of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist for use in dentistry. The whole practice team needs to be trained on the use of the WHO checklist (as per the WHO implementation guidelines). It needs systematic implementation, for every episode of dental surgery including dental extractions, minor oral surgery (MOS) and implant surgery, as part of a culture that is centred around patient safety. If appropriately implemented, this checklist could be a valuable safety barrier to mitigate the potential consequences of human error.