Important points:

• Information collated from your routine collection of DMF data allows the NHS to understand whether the oral health of patients is improving for those patients that receive NHS dental services.

• The DMF fields on the FP17 screen are intended not as primary data-entry points, but rather as validation of effective base charting - although the DMF fields are editable, the intention is that primary DMF recording is by means of base charting.

• DMF refers only to base charting; it does not reflect any current treatment. However, today's treatment will be next appointment's Base Charting.

• Best practice is that the Provider first does full base charting so that the DMF is automatically correct when the FP17 screen displays, and there is no need to edit the DMF scores on the screen.

  However, Providers may opt to edit DMF scores that are not quite correct on the FP17 screen. This is a temporary measure, and does not correct the base charting itself, so at the next appointment the patient's base charting will still need to be properly performed.

  A more recommended long-term solution when scores require editing is to close the FP17 screen, perform full, accurate base charting and then continue with all DMF scores automatically and correctly calculated by EXACT.

• Providers need to be aware of the NHS rules and issues around DMF scoring because these apply in EXACT's calculation of the DMF scores on the screen. See more details below.

• When base charting you need to mark all unerupted adult teeth as unerupted, otherwise you will see no deciduous scores in the DMF calculation.
  For Missing deciduous teeth,
  - "missing" means where a tooth has been extracted.
  - exclude these from the count: ULA, ULB, URA, URB, LLA, LLB, LRA, LRB.