Comparing the BDA case mix tool and simplified case mix tool for stratification of public dental patients with disabilities in South Australia

Trudy Y H Lin; Mark E I Gryst; Suzanne M Edwards; Sharon A C Liberali

doi:10.1038/s41415-023-5576-4

Comparing the BDA case mix tool and simplified case mix tool for stratification of public dental patients with disabilities in South Australia

Br Dent J. 2023 Mar 7. doi: 10.1038/s41415-023-5576-4. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Trudy Y H Lin¹, Mark E I Gryst², Suzanne M Edwards³, Sharon A C Liberali⁴

Affiliations

¹ Adelaide Dental School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia. [email protected].
² Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital, SA Dental, South Australia, Australia.
³ Adelaide Health Technology Assessment, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Australia.
⁴ Adelaide Dental School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia; Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital, SA Dental, South Australia, Australia.

PMID: 36882489
DOI: 10.1038/s41415-023-5576-4

Abstract

Introduction All individuals have a right to equal access to oral healthcare. Finding a dental practitioner experienced in managing individuals with special needs is a commonly reported barrier to accessing oral healthcare for people with disabilities.Aim The aim of this study was to determine the applicability of the British Dental Association (BDA) case mix tool (CMT) and the simplified case mix tool (sCMT) in an Australian context.Methods A retrospective analysis of 131 dental records for patients on recall at the Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital compared the specialist-performed complexity stratification with results obtained using the BDA CMT and sCMT by a general dentist.Results The BDA CMT demonstrated substantial agreement with the specialist-performed complexity stratification and had a higher reliability than the sCMT.Conclusions The BDA CMT may be suitable for use in the Australian context by general dental practitioners to identify the level of complexity of an individual with special needs, so as to ensure their oral healthcare needs are matched to a dental practitioner with the required skills and experience.