Who Owns Dental Records?
In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that medical records were the property of the medical practitioner. The records are held in trust for the patient by the doctor or dentist, and are under his or her care and control. Records are transferred or accessed only if the patient signs an authorization for their release. Adult records must be kept for 10 years. The records of minors must be kept for 10 years after the child reaches the age of majority. In Ontario that is 19. J.W. back to top RECORD KEEPING FOR DENTAL PRACTITIONERS There are some fundamental principles which should guide dental practitioners when record keeping. The following is a summary of the key issues to bear in mind when carrying out your record keeping duties. What are Patient Records? The Dental Chart and all of the measurements and tools used to gather dental information constitutes the Patient Record. These include: -the written chart including a complete medical/dental history; -radiographs; –
