For dental professionals seeking legal expertise, information, and counsel, Boyd W. Shepherd, D.D.S., J.D., and The legaldental.com Law Library equip and educate Texas dentists for navigating their legal concerns. Subscribe below for updates and information.
Taking the X-ray isn't enough
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Does your dental record include your radiographic findings? Taking a dental radiograph and documenting what you found on it are two different things. A progress note may clearly establish that bitewings, a periapical radiograph, or other diagnostic images were obtained. But does the record also document the findings you observed on those radiographs? That distinction can become important if the dental record is reviewed months—or years—later. Texas Dental Board record-keeping requirements address not only radiographs that are taken, but also the findings deduced from those radiographs. I've prepared a short video addressing this issue: Does Your Dental Record Include Your Radiographic Findings? The risk-management takeaway is straightforward: Don't just document the image. Document the findings. I've also prepared a free reference for Texas dentists that addresses this issue and four additional dental record-keeping problems worth reviewing in your practice. Download the free guide here: 5 Things to Avoid When Entering a Dental Record Progress Note Regards, Boyd W. Shepherd, D.D.S., J.D. legaldental.com Education Before Problems Arise. Experienced Counsel When They Do. P.S. If you'd like to go deeper, as a TSBDE-approved CE Provider, I offer my "Risk Management for Texas Dentists" course, which provides 6 CE Credit Hours in Risk Management & Record Keeping, Including Ethics, using several dental practice scenarios drawn from actual Texas Dental Board cases. HAVE A SPECIFIC LEGAL OR REGULATORY CONCERN? Individualized consultations are available for Texas dental professionals. |
legaldental.com
For dental professionals seeking legal expertise, information, and counsel, Boyd W. Shepherd, D.D.S., J.D., and The legaldental.com Law Library equip and educate Texas dentists for navigating their legal concerns. Subscribe below for updates and information.
Who Provided the Treatment? Who Made the Record Entry? Everyone in the dental office may know who treated the patient. They may also know who entered the information into the dental record. But will someone reviewing that record two or three years later be able to determine the same thing? The dental record should clearly identify both the individual who provided the treatment and the individual who made the record entry. That distinction can become particularly important when a record is...
Three pieces of information in a dental record seem almost too basic to discuss: The patient's name. The date of the visit. And the reason for the visit. Yet basic information can become surprisingly important when a dental record is reviewed months—or years—after the treatment occurred. The people reviewing that record later weren't necessarily in your office. They may be another dentist, an insurance carrier, an attorney, an expert—or the Texas Dental Board. And they shouldn't have to make...
Discussion will include: The Key Changes Under Texas SB 1318 - The Restrictions on Covenants Not To Compete for Texas Dentists Takeaways for Texas Dentist Employers and Getting Into a Few of the Weeds - Details You Need to Know Action Steps for Dentist Employers in Texas - What To Do Now Replacement Solutions for Texas Dentist Employers to Protect Their Practice Interests - Evaluating the Options and Practicality of Non-Compete Agreements, Non-Solicitation Agreements, and Other Creative...