Failure to Provide Timely Routine Dental Services
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to ensure that a resident received routine dental services in a timely manner. The resident, who reported having bad teeth and a need to see the dentist, had multiple notes from the facility's dental hygienist indicating that periodic and annual dental exams were due. However, there was no documentation that the resident had been seen by a dentist for these required exams. The medical record showed only an initial dental exam by the dentist, with subsequent recommendations for periodic and annual exams, but no evidence that these were completed as scheduled. Interviews with facility staff, including the DON and the medical scheduler, confirmed that annual and periodic dental exams are to be performed by a dentist, not a hygienist. Despite this, the resident was not scheduled for these exams until after surveyor intervention. The resident's care plan also identified impaired dentition and included an approach to consult with a dentist and follow up with recommendations, but this was not carried out in a timely manner. The deficiency was confirmed when the DON acknowledged that the resident was not seen for the required exams until prompted by the surveyor.