The dental examination is one of the basic professional services provided by the Navy dental team. Soon after you entered the military service, you received your first dental-oral examination to determine your dental health. Throughout your service with the Navy, you will receive annual or periodic dental examinations. The results of these examinations are recorded in your individual U.S. Navy Medical Outpatient and Dental Treatment Record (NAVMED 6150/21-30). The preparation of the NAVMED 6150/21-30 is discussed in
Your responsibility is to assist the dentist in all areas of dental examinations. You must be able to understand and complete various dental forms used in the examination process that become a part of the NAVMED 6150/21-30. Information on dental examinations and related forms can be found in the
Dental examinations are performed by dentists in different areas of the dental clinic. The Oral Diagnosis Department has the responsibility of providing dental examinations and holding "sick-call" hours, while dentists and auxiliary personnel (hygienists and Dental Technicians) in other departments of the dental clinic also perform oral examinations. This chapter concentrates on your duties in pre-examination, examination types, occasions for dental examinations, dental classifications, designations, charting and abbreviations, recording dental treatment, additional dental treatment forms, and patient dismissal.
Before seating a patient for a dental examination, ensure that the operatory is neat and professional in appearance. Make sure the area is clean and the equipment is disinfected.
The patient may be nervous, so try to put him/her at ease by using the communication skills that were discussed in Dental Technician, Volume 1, chapter 2, "Technical Administration and Responsibilities." Dental Technician, Volume 1, chapter 2. The Forensic Examination Section, which is located on the inside back cover of the NAVMED 6150/21-30, will be discussed in this chapter since it covers an examination.
Manual of the Medical Department,
NAVMED P-117, chapters 6 and 15.
Introduce yourself and ask the patient for his or her dental record. Open the record and scan the Dental Health Questionnaire, NAVMED 6600/3. Look specifically for "yes" answers if the questions concerning contagious or infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis (Type), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), cold sores (herpes, etc.) were checked. When a patient has a "yes" answer, notify the dentist before treatment.
When the patient is seated, make him or her as comfortable as possible. Adjust the headrest and place the chair in the working position favored by the dentist, usually the fully reclined position shown in figure 2-1. In this position, the patient's head is level with the dentist's elbow when the dentist is seated on the dental stool.
After you have seated the patient and positioned the chair, turn on the operating light. To avoid shining the light in the patient's eyes, focus the light beam on the area beneath the patient's chin. Then, turn off the light until the dentist is ready to start the examination. When the dentist is ready, turn on the light and rotate the light up to the mouth.
Next you will need a patient napkin to drape the patient. A patient napkin holder attaches the patient napkin in place around the neck area. If the patient is a woman wearing lipstick, give her a tissue and politely ask her to remove the lipstick before the examination begins. If the patient is wearing dentures or removable partial dentures, ask him/her to remove them and place them in a cup of water. The dentist will need them standing by to evaluate proper fit and condition during the exam.
A patient who is wearing corrective glasses should be asked to leave them in place during the exam, while a patient not wearing corrective glasses should be given eye protection.
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