Extra Oral Exam Steps

Question 1

Steps of extra oral exam

Answer 1

• observe patient, seat patient, ask permission
• inspect face for lesions, symmetry, hair, eyes and lips
• palpate mentalis, have patient swallow
• palpate anterior border of mandible
• palpate occipital nodes
• palpate auricular nodes. Anterior then posterior
• palpate TMJ. Ask patient to open/close, move side to side
• palpate parotid
• palpate messenger and temporalis, ask patient to clench teeth
• palpate submandibular region
• palpate submandibular nodes then push tissue to one side and roll up
• palpate nodes on SCM
• palpate thyroid, displace tissue side to side. Have patient swallow
• palpate trachea, move side to side