o Please describe a time when you performed a thorough head, neck and oral exam and the findings had a significant impact on how you proceeded with the dental hygiene process of care.
Annette was performing her usual head, neck, and oral exam on a patient and she found an enlarged thyroid. She recommended to the patient that she go see her primary care physician to get a better diagnosis. The patient went to her primary care physician and was told it was probably nothing. Later the patient returned to the dental office and saw Annette and told her what the physician said. Annette could not take that as a final answer and told her that she would not just leave it and should get a second opinion and have other test run. The patient went back
Initially she would perform the exams as learned in school, but now after finding something abnormal, she now does a more thorough check, especially on patients with previous history of cancer. This incident solidified her belief in early detection and proper documentation. By having the information in the patient’s chart Annette could refer back to it and follow up to see if anything has changed since the last visit. Most patients she sees do not have oral cancer but she is able to identify abnormalities and encourage the patient to have them checked to determine if they are precancerous. o Is there anything else you would like to share with me about the head, neck and oral exam in relation to comprehensive, individualized patient
As a hygienist you are the number one defense because not everyone sees his or her primary care physician on a regular basis or only for his or her annual physical. During the physical the physician is not checking for oral cancer and the hygienist sees the patient at least twice a year. Not all exams are used to check for cancer, but can also check for tonsil stones or salivary stones. One child patient had enlarged tonsils and she told the parent to come look. The parent was surprised and informed Annette that the child had strep throat often, with this extra information Annette suggested seeing the child’s primary care physician and possibly having the child’s tonsils removed. Annette said that if a patient has had a biopsy for possible oral cancer, especially smokers or tobacco consumers, she teaches them to do self-exams at home and informs them to do them once a month. She said she instructs the patient to call of they notice any
A dental hygienist is a very important role in any dental office. As stated by a dental assistant, “Dental hygienists work closely with the dentist as well as hands on with the patients. They assist dentists with operative procedures such as fillings and extractions, and making molds of patients teeth” (Wilson, Jennifer). A large part of their job is teaching patients proper dental care to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth. This includes proper brushing and flossing techniques. According to the job out look, a day as a dental hygienist can include taking x-rays, cleaning and scaling teeth, charting treatment plans, putting sealants on teeth, taking impressions of teeth and completing information about the patient’s oral and medical history (Summary). In some states dental hygienist are allowed to give local anesthetic and place and remove sutures (Delivering Local Anesthetic). According to advantages of becoming a dental hygienist, hygienists spend more hands on time with the patients than the dentist does. These are some of the instruments that dental hygienists use on a daily basis: toothbrush, scaler, mirror, ultrasonic scaler, explorer, suction, computer, salvia ejector, rubber cap polisher, dental models, x-ray machine and probe. The dental hygienist uses a toothbrush to remove soft plaque from the teeth. Plaque is a soft coating on the teeth that contain bacteria. The bacteria can cause tooth decay and gum disease. The amount of plaque on the teeth gives the hygienist an idea of how well the daily brushing and flossing of the patient’s teeth are completed on a regular basis. The scaler is used to remove hardened plaque or calculus from the teeth. The mirror is used to look closely at the surfaces of the teeth a...
Good oral hygiene is an essential part of nursing care and if left undone can lead to larger problems such as increased risk for pneumonia, tooth loss, mucosal lesions, and increased complications of comorbidities (Delgado, 2016). There needs to be a revision to the current oral care policy because oral hygiene is not being performed on the residents. This policy will benefit the patients and the facility. Patients will benefit from better oral hygiene thus reducing the risk of overall infection. The facility will benefit by saving money related unnecessary spending on items such as antibiotics and intravenous (IV) supplies.
Biopsy: If the inside of your mouth looks odd, you might have oral cancer. A healthy mouth will be coral pink in color. Any variation of this color can indicate a problem. The following are some symptoms of cancer growth in the mouth:
A 39 years old male adult attended for a regular 6 monthly dental check up and routine scaling. The patient reports to suffer from anxiety, he is a teacher, a non-smoker, non-drinker and a regular dental attender.
Looking back now, I realize why the teachers had us do each one of these. These activities are needed in preparation for me and us to be the best dental hygienist that we can be. I also realized not getting a straight answer from our instructors taught me that I am capable to find my own answer and be able to critical think for my career, treating my patients, and for my
Moreover, I will let the patient become familiar with any instruments such as a speculum, and demonstrate the tools that will be used to obtain tissue samples that would be used during the examination. Explaining the procedure is also a significant step; this will allow the patient have a sense of control during the examination as we ask and answer questions about their current state, that would help disseminate any concern they may have. Meanwhile, they can learn about what may happen, related to any body sensations or feelings they can experience during the procedure, all while the provider continues to develop rapport and patient’s trust
The best description of a dental hygienist is a professional whose main job is to teach their patients necessary oral hygiene skills and provide great dental care. They perform various tasks around a dentist’s office such as applying fluoride treatments, removing plaque and stains, taking x-rays, removing sutures, placing temporary fillings, and evaluating the patient’s overall health (“Dental Hygienist” Coin Career). Dental hygienists do not just work in a dental office, but they also can work at schools, nursing homes, health clinics, and many other dental settings. Close contact is necessary when doing this job. Working with people is an everyday thing in this profession, so one must be able to communicate and get along with their clients very well. Having certain traits such as excellent hand-eye coordination and great motor skills are very important to posses since dental hygienists work on their patients mouths (Porterfield 4). Communication is vital since dental hygienists are constantly teaching patients how to hav...
Disease Incidence: The number of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces that occur over a given period of time. Two different examinations are required to determine incidence- one before, and one at the end of a selected time period.
Bitewing radiographs are an important adjunct to clinical examination and maybe necessary to help the clinician detect and diagnose caries (REF). However ionising radiation from x-ray exposure has the potential to cause malignancy in the patient and therefore clin...
Over 30,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer in the US per year. Oral cancer is a cancer that is more common in people over the age of 45, but can occur at any age. Oral cancer can develop in any part of the mouth. “... Oral cancer- it is cancer that occurs in any part of the mouth; on the tongue’s surface, in the lips, inside the cheek, in the gums, in the roof and floor of the mouth, in the tonsils, and also the salivary glands”.(Salomon and Esposito; Dental Partners) Oral cancer, although devastating and destructive can be detected, prevented, treated and cured if it is found early on in its stages. Cancer is detected by dentist because there is a genetic mutation in the cell usually causing tumors within the initial area of effect. Oral cancer can be prevented, diagnosed and treated.
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
in taking patient clinical history, also describe the desirable qualities of an exceptional patient interviewer. Explain the value of six categories of question used in obtaining patient histories. Describe the importance of clarifying the chief complaint. Detail the components of each of the sacred elements is a clinical history. The six types of interview questions and skills are: open ended, facilitation, silence, subtle repetition, and summarization. Soon after the sacred seven develop which are: localization, chronology, quality, severity, onset, and aggravating or alleviation on the affected area. All of these questions are prior to the x-ray
Over time as individuals age and are faced with access to care issues they may begin to neglect their oral health. As time passes between dental hygiene cleanings or dentist visits the presence of oral disease may begin to increase.
Key words such as closed and open questions are very well explained. Differentiating when to use each type of question is described and useful for facilitating an interactive dialogue. It is important to understand how to assist the patient in relaying important details and to ensure that what the patient has expressed is understood.
The comparative need was particularly useful as other oral health projects were carried out for the same community topic, aged care facilities.