Knowledge through documentation: from patients' data records to the basis of knowledge.

The written documentation generated in the dental practice can only be used for clinical tasks under certain conditions. The systematic use of clinical information is not possible until therapy and record data are organized as empirical bases of knowledge by electronic application. Then all documented data are available to support clinical decisions. The first task of dental treatment planning is the assessment of the individualized prognosis. Empirical bases of knowledge can process the surveyed information for this purpose and present it in a suitable manner. Moreover, an empirical basis of knowledge is suitable for an analysis of the effectiveness of dental therapy measures and for the elaboration of empirical foundations for discussion between colleagues. The most advanced form of data application is the expert system, which is able to carry out case comparisons and draw model-based conclusions on the basis of empirical knowledge.