Patient awareness of dental recall intervals

In 2004, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) introduced a clinical guideline on the frequency of dental check-ups to recall patients according to their needs. To measure patient's understanding of this change, a survey was conducted in a dental practice in Teddington, Middlesex. A total of 420 completed questionnaires were obtained and analysed. The results demonstrated that most patients were not aware of the introduced recall period. It was found that the greatest barrier to visiting a dentist was dental anxiety/fear. Fifty four percent of patients believed the recall period was every six months, while only 18.1% of patients thought their recall was based on the patients' needs. Most patients (61.9%) agreed that the current NHS dental charge was reasonable.