Standardised proformas for the management of hypodontia patients: A new standard for clinical documentation.

backgroundHypodontia is a common dental anomaly with complex treatment needs that often require a multidisciplinary approach. Despite its impact on aesthetics, function and psychosocial well-being, there remains a lack of standardised protocols for managing multidisciplinary services for patients with hypodontia.

objectiveThis paper describes the development and implementation of standardised proforma templates as part of a local standard operating procedure (SOP) for the management of patients with hypodontia at the Royal London Dental Hospital (RLH), with the broader goal of informing wider data collection efforts.

methodsFour proforma templates were created to standardise documentation at key stages of the patient pathway: initial referral (appendix 1), new patient assessment (appendix 2), initial treatment plan (appendix 3) and mid-treatment review (appendix 4). These have been implemented within the RLH service for patients with hypodontia.

resultsThe introduction of the templates has been seen to enhance compliance with local SOPs, improve consistency in clinical documentation, and facilitate more robust data collection and analysis.

conclusionThe implementation of standardised proformas represents a significant step toward unified data collection and improved multidisciplinary care in hypodontia management. Their broader adoption could support quality improvement initiatives, ensure alignment with NHS governance standards and contribute to the development of a national hypodontia database.