When a patient is seen for his or her routine dental examination, these are some of the major points involved. First: The patient is asked to fill out a recent medical questionnaire. In most cases this is a verbal confirmation, where the patient is asked about recent health concerns, changes or new medications. The oral area cannot be separated from the general health of a patient. A recent heart problem should be addressed, as there could be dental / general health ramifications. For example, cardiac surgery may involve premedication with antibiotics, as a thorough dental cleaning could cause oral bacteria to enter the circulatory system. This can cause potentially serious problems in areas where recent scar tissue has formed. As well …show more content…
She / he can often detect cavities through the manual act of scaling. When the dentist comes for the exam phase, the hygienist will be able to supplement this exam with observations that he/she has seen. This team work helps a patient achieve the greatest of care. The dentist will physically touch each tooth with a sharp instrument called an 'explorer" This can show if an area of concern is in fact decay or just a stain. An interesting addition to the dental exam is a laser instrument that can detect decay. One model is a Diagnodent. It emits a low power laser beam which is directed, from close distance, to the tooth surface. Some of the light reflects back and is read by the instrument. The nature of the reflected light will signify a possible decay. This has been an excellent way of detecting decay before it gets larger.
The dentist will also do, what is termed,a soft tissue exam. The tongue, cheeks, palate, upper throat, and gum tissues are examined for any problems. Of special concern are smokers, who do have a tendency to have more intra-oral cancers. As well the neck from the collar bone to the chin is examined for any hard lesions. The dentist is looking for cysts, signs of infection and cancers.
The gums are given a thorough exam both visually and with an instrument called a probe, which is demarcated in millimeters. A normal gum pocket, the area around the teeth, is 3 mm. In gum disease some pockets can range to 10 mm. In such severe cases the patient is
She asked the patient if she was experiencing any pain, and with confirmation from the patient, Dr. Douglas took a look at her sore throbbing area later in the appointment. After taking the blood pressure, the intraoral and extraoral exam was done rather quickly with no abnormal findings. I have never had my teeth probed before, so I enjoyed seeing her probe each tooth to get a better feel of what the procedure will entail. The patient had excellent teeth, and Dr. Douglas did not find any caries. Radiographs were not taken since she had them done in our clinic six months ago.
If you have any medical condition, then you will need to inform your physician of this. Gum disease has been linked to many health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Dentists also have to take a patient's overall health into consideration before they administer any anesthetic. Additionally, you should let your dentist if you are allergic to any medication.
Any of these indications may flag a significant issue, which ought to be checked by a dental practitioner. At your dental visit: The dental specialist will get some information about your medicinal history to recognize fundamental conditions or hazard elements, (for example, smoking) that may add to periodontal illness. The dental practitioner or hygienist will inspect your gums and note any indications of irritation. The dental specialist or hygienist will utilize a little ruler called a "test" to check for periodontal pockets and to gauge any pockets. In a sound mouth, the profundity of these pockets is more often than not somewhere around 1 and 3 millimeters. The dental practitioner or hygienist may take a X-beam to see whether there is any bone misfortune, and
According to Jada A. Grave on Money.usnews.com, the main idea about this subject is the understood tasks of a general dental hygienist. Dental hygienist focus mainly on the preventive care of dental hygiene rather than the damage already caused. They also educate and inform the patients of the best over-the-counter medicines for their pains, and speak to them about flossing and brushing habits to prevent future damages to the teeth and gums. A dental hygienist's main purposes are completing dental prophylaxis, screening oral cancer and radiographic research, and charting the conditions of
The patient was keen to get her oral hygiene up to a good standard and prevent any
My assigned role was dental hygienist as an educator. As clinical dental hygienist, educating my patients to perform proper oral home care, explaining disease processes that effecting them, and recommend appropriate oral health care products just as important as providing hygiene treatments. Individual homecare instructions depend on many factor such as age of patient, physical and mental ability, number of visits they had with me, and the results of oral exam. As part of my routine, I assess the changes that patient had made since their last visit. Most of them give me an honest report. However, when it is inconsistent with what I am seeing at the oral exam (evidence of calculus, plaque, food impaction, no improvement in inflammation), I begin
A vocation as a dental hygienist offers an extensive variety of difficulties. In the dental office, the dental specialist and the dental hygienist cooperate to meet the oral wellbeing needs of patients. Since every state has its own particular regulations with respect to their obligations, the scope of administrations performed by hygienists shifts from state to state. A percentage of the administrations gave by dental hygienists might include: quiet screening strategies, for example, evaluation of oral wellbeing conditions, audit of the wellbeing history, oral tumor screening, head and neck investigation, dental graphing and taking circulatory strain and beat taking and creating dental radiographs (x-beams) evacuating math and plaque (hard
Screening measures include oral cancer screening and periodontal charting. Some dental hygienists also check blood pressure and pulse. If needed, they will take x-rays before beginning the routine cleaning, which involves scaling and polishing the teeth. A patient that displays periodontal disease, however, may need a deep cleaning, called scaling and root planning. Once the cleaning is complete, the dental hygienist will give instruction on how the patient can correctly care for problems in their oral health.
A dental hygienist is much more than just someone who cleans teeth. They are well rounded, educated professionals who are knowledgeable of many aspects of the dental and medical field. They are experts in dental anatomy, periodontal disease, related aspects of pharmacology, nutrition and even medical emergencies. As hygienists, we see a number of patients every day varying all different ages. With the advancements in the dental field the average age of a dental patient is now increasing. These advancements are leading to patients keeping their teeth longer, therefore coming into the dental office for more
As dental hygienists we are members of the healthcare community. That means that we have an extremely important role when it comes to the health of our patients. When patients present themselves in our treatment room, it is our responsibility to make sure we do not leave anything unexamined. We are professionals in the practice of identifying, preventing, and treating oral diseases. We do this by completing thorough extraoral and intraoral exams and being conscious of what to look for. One particular exam that we do is an oral cancer exam. As dental hygienists we are at the forefront in identifying this disease. In an article written by Nancy Burkhart, a coauthor of General and Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist, she states, “It is known that oral cancer is more likely to be detected in an early stage in the dental office than those found at a physician’s office, which tend to be at a later stage.” (Burkhart, 2014) This may be because dental hygienists focus more on the oral tissues than physicians do; or the fact that patients go to a doctor when it is already at advanced stages. It is imperative that we as dental hygienists know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer, as well as the risk factors involved in developing the disease and how it can be prevented. While it is important as a dental hygienist to identify oral diseases, it is more important to educate our patients on how they can avoid any potential abnormalities from becoming severe problems,
Dentist: specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of teeth and tissues of the oral cavity
3) On what basis could County argue that it is conforming with the criterion at 1715(3)? On what basis could the state agency argue that County's application in nonconforming with the criterion? In your opinion, which side has the more persuasive argument? Why?
As stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed and over 8,000 deaths due to oral cancer occur.” (CDC). Most adults are unaware that they have periodontal disease or gum disease, this occurs because they do not maintain routine checkups with their dentist. When we insert food and other bacteria into our mouths, it affects our teeth and gums. We need routine dental checkups and cleanings throughout our lives. Dental checkups usually involve x-rays, cleanings, and the examination of the mouth.
A periodontal probe is similar in appearance to the dental explorer, but it instead typically has a straight tip instead of a curved one, like the dental explorer. The tip is also sharp-looking, which is why it can look just as scary as the explorer. However, this tool is not used to poke and prod, but it is instead used to measure the depth of gum pockets, which helps the dentist determine whether gums are healthy or not.
Besides staying clear of unhealthy consumption of tobacco and alcohol, it is very important to have an oral examination at least once a year, to catch any newly developed lesions that may have gone unnoticed. The dentist will look for any abnormal lumps and sores and red or white patches. Survival rates are higher when cancerous cells are found at early stages (Cutter). Unfortunately, most oral cancers are not discovered early enough. Once the dentist examines the mouth, the dental hygienist, who cleans the teeth, has the opportunity to re-examine the mouth. It is the hygienist's duty to notice any peculiar areas in the mouth and bring them to the attention of the dentist. Having both the dentist and hygienist examine the mouth adds a cautionary step in the process of oral examination.