Clinical Examination and Testing Flashcards
What do you need to find out in the patient interview?
- Complete medical history
- Rx Medicaitions
- Supplements
- Chief Complaint
What is included/supplemental in a complete medical history?
- blood glucose
- PT time
- Pregnancy test
What should you document from the patient interview?
a. Get an accurate Health History and Meds Taken
b. Patient’s CC, symptoms & related dental HX
c. Are other tests needed? (M.D. consult, etc. p.r.n.)
d. How can you help them: Expectations/Desires
What is the outline of an objective examination?
- VITAL SIGNS
- EXTRAORAL EXAMINATION
- INTRAORAL EXAMINATION
What vital signs do you need to get during the examination?
- Blood Pressure
- Respiratory rate
- Pulse
- Temperature should be taken in patients reporting swelling or signs and symptoms
What do you need to notice on an extraoral examination?
GENERAL APPEARANCE
- Skin tone
- Facial Asymmetry
- Swelling
- Discoloration, redness
- Extraoral scars or sinus Tract
- Lymphadenopathy
What would you look for during an intraoral examination?
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Unusual texture, color or
composition - Draining sinus tract (DST)
Take at least ___ probings on each tooth in the area of suspicion
6
What is important to look for during periodontal eval?
blanching
How do you test a tooth for mobility?
Turn the probe around; add a mirror handle on the lingual/palatal and wiggle the tooth to test mobility
Why test tooth mobility?
determine status of PDL
What does this show?
DST
- draining sinus tract
can insert Gutta Percha to determine location origin
What is percussion during an intraoral examination?
- gently tapping on the tooth (incisal or occlusal surface)
- do not start with the suspected tooth
Why should you not start with the suspected tooth during endo testing (percussion, etc.)?
You are trying to establish a BASE-LINE of normal response for this patient
Maintain a ___________ of percussion technique on ALL teeth tested
CONSISTANCY
Radiographs must be ________ in quality
Diagnostic
_____________ films are required to see the surrounding tissues
Peri-Apical
What type of peri-apical films can be used to view surrouding tissues?
Straight-on and Angled P/A
Bite Wing film on posteriors to determine…
RESTORABILITY
What is the definition of a sensibility test?
ability to respond to stimulus, and hence this is an accurate and appropriate term for typical and common clinical pulp tests such as THERMAL and ELECTRICAL tests given that they do not detect or measure the blood supply of the dental pulp
What are the rules for thermal and EPT testing in the mouth?
- Teeth to be tested are properly ISOLATED & DRYED
- Place COLD cotton pellet on facial tooth surface
- Patient’s hand should go up immediately (If NOT hold cotton on tooth until it does)
- Observe the seconds until patient’s hand goes down
- Then go to next tooth and repeat
What are you looking for during thermal and EPT testing?
- What is NORMAL for this patient at this time
- What is decidedly DIFFERENT for a particular tooth
- The TIME to RECOVERY is much more important than the SEVERITY of PAIN reported