Emergencies & Records - Week 7 PP Flashcards
For a dentist to make an accurate diagnosis, he or she must:
-Review the medical and dental history and discuss all dental health concerns with patient
-Continue with a thorough extraoral and intraoral examination
-Evaluate the radiographs and study models
-Discuss the plan of treatment
Why patients seek dental care
-As a new patient to begin dental care
-as an emergency patient when in pain
-for consultation with a specialist
As a returning patient for continued assessment & care
Role of the Dental Assistant
Assist the patient with the completion of the patient information forms
-Take and record vital signs
-Chart and record the dentist’s findings during the extraoral and intraoral exam
-Expose Intra and Extraoral Radiographs
-Take preliminary impressions and fabricate diagnostic models
take extra and intraoral photographs
-Organize Patient Record
-Prepare for the case presentation
Visual Examination
The examination always begins with a visual evaluation of the patient’s extraoral and intraoral
conditions
* Enables the dentist to determine an overall assessment of the type of dental care received
previously
* Reveals any existing conditions that have not been treated
Palpation (Touching or Feeling)
The examiner uses his or her fingers and hands to feel for texture, size, consistency of hard and soft tissue
This technique
is especially useful for detecting extra oral swelling and is the primary way of detecting swollen lymph nodes
Instrumentation
The use of instruments to examine the teeth and surrounding tissues
-Type of instruments commonly utilized to examine the teeth: Mouth mirror and explorers
-Type of instrument used to examine the gingival tissues - probe
Detection: dentist uses an explore to detecting imperfection
Probing - A dentist or hygienist will use the periodontal prove to assess the pockets/sulcus depth
Digital Diagnositics
Some areas of digital dentistry:
-caries legions detection
Occlusion and TMJ analysis and diagnosis
Digital radiography
Patient education
Shade matching
The computer aided design/computer-aided manufacturing system and intraoral imaging
Dental Photography
A diagnostic tool used for intraoral and extraoral structures
* Provides the dentist and patient with a visual means of identifying and understanding specific
problems
Recording the Dental Examination
Charting symbols, abbreviations, and color coding can be used in the recording process to indicate various conditions and existing restorations
Tooth Diagrams
Anatomic and geometric designs are the most frequently used dental charting systems
Anatomic diagram: illustrations resemble the actual crown and root of the tooth
Geometric design - circle represents each tooth - circle is divided to represent each tooth surface
Color Coding
A visual notation to differentiate between treatment that has already been completed and treatment that still needs to be completed
Black or blue - dental work that has been completed
Red - symbols indicate treatment that needs to be completed
Once work has been completed, you will make over the red with black or blue notation to indicate that work has been completed
Abbreviations
FOr single surface resotarions charting abbbreviations are based on the names of the tooth surface
B-buccal
D-Distal
F-Facial
L-Lingual.. etc
In multiple surface restorations, two or more surfaces are involved - the combined surfaces become one name on which the abbreviation is based.
The rule for combing two surfaces is to sub the letter o for the al ending of the first surface (DO - disto-occlusal), MOD - Mesio-occlusaldistal)
Charting systems
Are available in a variety of diagram styles
Symbols are placed on the tooth diagram of the dental record to represent the various treatments and the types of dental material used to restore the tooth/teeth
Important to learn the charting symbols for treatment to be completed as well as for treatment already provided
Clinical Examination of the Patient
Role of the clinical assistant is to escort the patient to the clinical area for the examination process
* You will follow a routine protocol for the patient
* The patient is seated in the dental treatment area,
draped with a patient “napkin,” and positioned for the dentist to begin the examination
Soft Tissue Exams
Involves a complete exam of the cheeks, mucoas, lips, lingual and facial alveolar bone, palate, tongue, etc.
This exam requires the use of visual assessment and palpation - the purpose is to detect and abnormalities in the head and neck area of the patient
