Prehygiene: Look at the patient and observe the following:
1. Stains
What types and severity.
2. Calculus
How much and the length of time since the last prophylaxis.
3. Plaque
Most patients attempt to brush their teeth as well as possible before a dental appointment, so if your patient has a great deal of plaque present, this should give you a good idea of how the patient’s oral hygiene is lacking.
4. Habits
A hygiene appointment could erase valuable evidence left by any harmful habits the patients may have. Examples are heavy smokers or coffee drinkers whose stains would be eliminated after prophylaxis (see Esthetics in Dentistry 1st ed., Vol. II, Chapter 20: Personal Habits; or Vol. II, Chapter 16: Stains and Discoloration.) Therefore, make sure you examine any new patient before a hygiene appointment.
5. Attitude
Another reason to meet the patient before the hygiene appointment is to get a better idea of the patient’s personality. After a 30- to 50-minute hygiene appointment, the patient may be stressed, out of time, or even noncommunicative.
Remember, you can uncover important information during this initial interview, and it is imperative to ascertain that you have sufficient information to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. The more difficult the esthetic problem, the more time is required for patient information gathering. Failure to obtain even one critical piece of patient information can make the difference between esthetic success and failure. Sources of this essential information may include the receptionist, dental assistant, hygienist, dental laboratory technician, and treatment coordinator. Although we assume that all of the above individuals have contact with the patient, valuable information can also be gained by involving your laboratory technician with the patient’s esthetic concerns. In most cases, the laboratory technician will be able to tell you whether the technical problems involved can be easily overcome. This information is also essential before finalizing your patient’s treatment because, for example, your fee and that of the technician can vary considerably based on the technical requirements involved.
Fatal error: Call to undefined function wp23_related_posts() in /home/who01/public_html/wp-content/themes/HL/single.php on line 48