MDS Alert

Question: I am trying to fill out item L0200 (Dental) for a resident who is missing a lot of teeth but whose remaining teeth seem whole and pretty healthy. She doesn’t have partial dentures or anything besides a couple of whole, natural teeth.

Georgia Subscriber

Answer: Figuring the correct description on L0200 may seem tricky because the choices cover a lot of situations but don’t explicitly mention your resident’s circumstances.

However, the RAI Manual provides some guidance.

“The dental status for a resident who has some, but not all, of his/her natural teeth that do not appear damaged (e.g., are not broken, loose, with obvious or likely cavity) and who does not have any other conditions in L0200A–G, should be coded in L0200Z, none of the above,” says the RAI Manual, on page L-3.

However, make sure you or a colleague observes the resident while she eats to check in on whether she has any difficulty chewing, and make sure you care plan for any special dietary needs.