permit, however, the record should be delivered to the consulting  provider  with  instructions  to  return  it  the same  way. Do   not   jeopardize   patient   care   or unnecessarily  inconvenience  the  patient. HANDCARRYING  FAMILY  MEMBER’S DENTAL RECORD.—When   an   adult   patient’s dental record is handcarried by someone other than the patient (spouse or an adult family member), release of the record must be authorized by the patient. Dental records of minor children may be released to the parent, sponsor, spouse, other adult family member, or the child’s legal guardian. In divorce cases, a child’s dental record may only be released to the parent who has been awarded custody of the child by a court order. COPIES OF DENTAL RECORDS.—Excerpts from or copies of dental records for the patient may be approved by the treating dentist or DTF director. Permanent Transfer to Ships or Stations At the time of patient checkout from the DTF, personnel that are responsible for the release of dental records will ensure the following steps are completed. Further guidance for permanent transfers is found in MANMED,  chapter  16. If no dental record exists, construct a new dental record following the instructions in this chapter and MANMED. Have a dentist perform a T-2 dental examination. Verify dental record. Ensure patient has been processed for transfer. Complete dental record chargeout. Allow active duty members to handcarry their dental record, unless the DTF or member’s command determines it is not in the Navy’s or members’s interest to do so. If the dental record is not to be handcarried, forward it via certified mail along with a DD Form 877, Request for Medical/Dental  Records  Information,  or  place dental  record  in  the  custody  of  authorized personnel. Temporary Dental Records In   certain   cases,   a   DTF   may   require   the establishment of a temporary dental record, in addition to the patient’s permanent dental record. Temporary records are required to ensure the timely availability of information  that  documents  a  current  course  of treatment for a patient being seen in the DTF. An example is a military member on temporary additional duty  (TAD)  without his or her dental record who requires  emergency  dental  treatment. CUSTODY   OF   TEMPORARY   DENTAL RECORD.—The     temporary     dental     record     is maintained by the DTF providing the current course of treatment. When the treatment is complete or when the patient returns to the location of the permanent dental record, the patient may handcarry the record or the custodian of the temporary record must forward it to the custodian of the permanent record. CONSTRUCTION  OF  TEMPORARY DENTAL RECORD.—The  temporary  dental  record must, at a minimum contain the following: Privacy Act Statement, DD 2005 Dental  Health  Questionnaire,  NAVMED  6600/3 Dental Treatment Form, EZ603A If a dental record jacket is not used, care must be taken to securely fasten any radiographs to the forms comprising the temporary dental record. DISPOSITION OF TEMPORARY DENTAL RECORD.—As  soon  as  possible,  the  temporary dental record must be merged with the permanent dental record including all forms except the Privacy Act  Statement. An  entry  must  be  made  in  the permanent   dental   record’s   most   current   dental treatment form that the merger has occurred. LOOSE  TREATMENT  FORMS.—When loose treatment forms are discovered, every effort should be made to determine the present location of the dental record. If reasonable search efforts do not locate the dental record, retain loose treatment forms for a period of 1 year. Upon expiration of the retention period, destroy the forms locally according to paragraph six of the standard identification code 6150 contained in SECNAVINST  5212.5. RETIREMENT OF THE DENTAL RECORD Dental records should be verified and retired as instructed in the section “Inactive Records” in this chapter. Records should be retired to the National Personnel  Records  Center,  Military  Personnel Records, St. Louis, Missouri. RELEASE OF INFORMATION Information in the dental record is personal and is considered privileged. Treatment records should not 2-22