An Audit of the Turnaround Time of Fixed Prosthodontics Cases in the Ceramic Laboratory

Abstract

This clinical audit is aimed to provide an insight into the performance of dental technicians in rendering fixed prosthodontics services at Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. A retrospective audit was carried out between 1st of November 2014 and 31st January 2015 using data derived from records and monthly returns of the technicians, which are kept at the ceramic laboratory. Retrospective data on cases of diagnostic wax-ups, full metal crowns, metal ceramic crowns, all ceramic crowns and bridges that were sent to ceramic laboratory for fabrication from 1st of September 2013 to 31st of August 2014 was systematically extracted from the record and tabulated categorically in SPSS version 22.0. The turnaround time in workings day for diagnostic wax-ups and the prostheses was calculated by deducting exit date from entry date. Subsequently, the turnaround time and the complexity of cases were categorized accordingly. The association of turnaround time and the complexity of the cases was analysed using Fisher Exact test with p value < 0.05. Within this time frame, a total of 102 cases of diagnostic waxups, 36 cases of crown and 18 cases of bridges were fabricated. 57.8% of diagnostic wax-ups were completed within 3 days. 100% of 1 unit crown were completed within 7 days and 94.4% of bridges were completed within 14 days. There was a significant association of turnaround time and the complexity of the cases for diagnostic wax-ups and crowns with p value <0.05. The standard for turnaround time is being met by the ceramic laboratory at Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. However, due to the excessive workload, the overall output of all the measured procedures remains low.