Relevance and legal aspects of the dental prescription

A dentist needs to be aware of the ethical and legal requirements when writing instructions to a technician

‘Please put that impression with the others to go to the I lab’. A common phrase heard L. up and down the country in a wide range of clinical settings on a daily basis–but how much notice do you take of the laboratory prescription? While it is ultimately the clinician's responsibility to ensure that all the necessary information is present in a coherent format, good nursing support and ultimately a trusted second pair of eyes to examine the prescription will go a long way to ensuring good communication with the laboratory. But why is the prescription detail so important? This month's research summary highlights the relevance and legal aspects of this key document.