A clinical minimum data set for primary dental care.

Objective: To achieve consensus within primary dental care on the contents of a clinical minimum data set to measure oral health status.
Design: Using the Delphi process a simple random sample of 30 LDCs and 10 CDS services in England were asked to rank a list of existing clinical indicators in order of their perceived importance as a means of measuring oral health. A nominated panel representing the stakeholder organisations of primary dental care reviewed this ranking and identified a core group of clinical indicators to be included in a clinical minimum data set.
Results: An 80 percent response rate to the Delphi process was achieved. Consensus was reached on a core group of 10 indicators, which can provide information on patient's perceptions of pain, function and appearance, and professional measurements of caries, teeth present, periodontal disease, oral sepsis, presence of mucosal pathology and tooth wear.
Conclusions: A representative sample of primary care dentists in England and the key representative organisations of primary dental care achieved consensus on the contents of a clinical minimum data set to record oral health status in primary dental care. This is a first step in standardising the measurement of oral health status across primary care.