Call for change to child-focused terminology

Jenny Harris has called for the terminology of dental appointments to be made more sensitive to children's needs. Mrs Harris wants dentists to drop the acronym 'DNA', which stands for 'Did Not Attend' and use 'WNB': 'Was Not Brought'.

Mrs Harris is a member of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) Executive and the Society's lead on child protection issues. The reason for the change is to remind dental teams that the child who does not turn up for an appointment is not responsible for his or her absence. To benefit from dental care they are reliant on others to bring them. If they miss an appointment without explanation, enquiries need to be made of their parent or guardian.

Mrs Harris said: 'Although the difference between the phrases DNA and WNB may seem slight, the gulf in meaning is wide. A young child cannot get to an appointment on their own – we need to stop seeing things from an adult point of view. Instead we must consider what the child is missing out on by not being brought.'

Mrs Harris first encountered the proposal for a change in terminology in an article published in the child protection nursing literature and has used the acronym WNB for missed appointments ever since. With colleagues in Sheffield Community & Special Care Dentistry Service, she has devised a 'Was not brought' pathway.

'When you have a series of missed appointments', said Mrs Harris, 'it's difficult to take things forward. Concerns cannot be ignored but need to be flagged up. The new tool gives dental teams a template to manage decision-making and to follow up with parents or health or social services to ensure the child isn't being neglected. Our priority is that the child gets the healthcare they need.'

The pathway is being evaluated by Jen Kirby, a specialty trainee in paediatric dentistry and leadership fellow. Ms Kirby will be delivering the results at the BSPD conference in Manchester, in September.