Current status of patient recall in U.S. predoctoral dental school clinics.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)'s revised standard 2-23, which went into effect in July 2013, requires U.S. dental graduates to be competent in "evaluation of the outcomes of treatment, recall strategies, and prognosis." To assess the way dental schools are implementing this revised recommendation, a survey was conducted to assess the existence of recall systems in the schools' clinics and factors enhancing or hindering the formation of an effective recall system. Surveys were returned from thirty-five dental schools (54.7 percent response rate). Results showed that most institutions had active recall systems and the respondents believed that program effectiveness can be further improved. Suggested improvements included patient education and tracking patient recall appointments. The results indicate that recall systems exist in predoctoral dental education programs, have high student involvement, and vary among schools.