Lecture: Dental Assessment and Charting

Overview

• Focus on hard tissue assessment, also known as dental charting.
• Importance of biologically sound and functional dentition.
  • Check for cavities, tooth damage, and developmental anomalies to incorporate into the care plan.

Dental Charting

• Documented graphically on paper or electronically.
• Records restorations, tooth location, drifting, tilting, and rotation.
• Electronic charting is space-saving and integrates digital radiographs but is expensive and has a learning curve.

Tooth Classification

• Primary Teeth: 20 teeth, no premolars.
• Permanent Teeth: 32 teeth, including premolars.
• Divisions:
  • Quadrants: Divide the mouth into 4 sections.
  • Sextants: Divide the mouth into 6 sections.
• Tooth Surfaces:
  • Incisal, middle, and gingival thirds for incisors and posterior teeth.
  • Occlusal, middle, and cervical thirds horizontally.

Root Curvature

• Roots typically curve distally.

Tooth Numbering Systems

• FDI (International): Used in Canada.
• Universal: Used in the USA.
• Palmer Notation: Uses boxes to denote quadrants.

Cavity Classification

• Simple, Compound, Complex: Based on affected surfaces.
• Black Classification: Classifies by location (e.g., occlusal, interproximal).

Caries Detection

• Visual examination, radiographs, intraoral cameras.
• Avoid using explorers to prevent bacterial transfer.

Types of Cavities

• Early Childhood, Rampant, Chronic, Arrested, Recurrent Caries.

Dental Anomalies

• Important to document anomalies such as hyperdontia and mesiodens.

Occlusion

• Centric Occlusion vs. Centric Relation: Relationship of teeth and jaw placement.
• Class 1, Class 2, Class 3: Based on molar and canine alignment.
• Malocclusions: Include overbite, open bite, and crossbite.

Trauma

• Primary vs. Secondary: Based on previous bone loss from periodontitis.

Dental Hygiene Diagnosis

• Analyzing assessment data to identify needs and plan care.
• Eight human needs related to oral health.
  • Protection from health risks, skin and mucous membrane integrity, freedom from fear and stress, etc.
• Formulate dental hygiene diagnosis statements using the DAQT system.

Treatment Planning

• Involves goal setting with specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives.
• Use motivational interviewing to involve clients in planning.

Implementation

• Phase of care where preventive and therapeutic procedures are performed.

Evaluation

• Ongoing assessment of whether treatment goals have been met.
• Use open-ended questions, demonstrations, and clinical improvements to evaluate.

Documentation

• Legal record of all assessments, diagnoses, care plans, and evaluations.
• Essential to document everything accurately and thoroughly.