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. 2025 Sep;239(5):343-349.
doi: 10.1038/s41415-025-8604-8. Epub 2025 Sep 12.

Note bloat

Shamir B Mehta  1 , Raj Rattan  2 , Len D Cruz  3
Affiliations

Note bloat

Shamir B Mehta et al. Br Dent J. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the composition and purpose of record-keeping in dental practice and in the context of a General Dental Council (GDC) fitness to practise (FtP) investigation. It includes an overview of the GDC's FtP process. The importance of making appropriate patient records from a dento-legal perspective is also highlighted, together with changing trends in record-keeping in the United Kingdom over the past 50 years and factors that have contributed to 'note bloat' - a term that describes unnecessarily lengthy (at times, superfluous) records. It calls for a shift in current practice and explores alternative options for record-keeping in a more concise way and discusses how this may be achieved.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics declaration. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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