💡 Top tip: For more information about adjustment, please refer to the NHS website.
What do I need to consider when providing an adjustment denture to a bridge or denture?
There are a number of things to keep in mind when providing an adjustment denture:
This process should be considered as part of the patient's aftercare, and therefore part of the original course of treatment - if it is not long after the denture or bridge has been fitted. GDS/PDS regulations do not specify a time limit within which aftercare can be provided, as long as the treatment is completed as part of a Band 1, Band 2a, Band 2b, Band 2c and Band 3 course of treatment scheduled under a contract.
Any review and/or remediation of such treatment (such as the necessary easing or adjustment of a denture recently provided under a contract) would be considered aftercare and appropriate to the same course of treatment.
Whilst the withdrawal and resubmission of the original claim with a revised date of completion may be appropriate when aftercare has been provided, 'Denture Ease/Adjust' is not listed as a treatment item within the clinical dataset of the FP17. No further resubmission is required if the course of treatment has already been submitted previosuly and UDAs awarded.
📝 Please note: This also means the patient should not be charged and there should be no additional UDA claimed for the adjustment.
Which treatment band is appropriate when providing an adjustment denture?
Different treatment bands would be appropriate depending on the adjustment scenario:
If a patient attends with an existing appliance which requires adjustment, and no examination is provided, this falls under a Band 4 Urgent Treatment.
If a patient attends with an existing denture which requires adjustment and this is provided with an examination, this will form part of a Band 1 course of treatment (assuming all the necessary treatment and examination has been provided).
Denture relining will form part of a Band 2a course of treatment.
Any further treatment within two months applies to previously undiagnosed treatment and would therefore not be appropriate for the easing of a recently constructed denture.