An Orthopedic Surgeon's Dental Examination: Reducing Unnecessary Delays in Joint Replacement Surgery for Marginalized Patients in a Safety Net Hospital System.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Selective dental clearance before total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has been proposed; however, effective strategies of carrying out this practice are lacking. This study aims to determine the positive predictive value (PPV) of a novel oral examination performed by an orthopedic surgeon to better direct limited resources for marginalized patients in a safety net hospital system.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted on 105 consecutive patients who had an oral examination performed by a single surgeon before elective TJA. Patients who screened negative proceeded to surgery without further formal dental clearance. Patients who screened positive underwent formal examination/intervention by a dentist before surgery. The rate of correct referral that resulted in pa

SUBMITTER: Tye EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8585792 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature