Do you ever wonder what a dentist actually does when you are having a “routine check up”. Yes as a patient you are informed of the cost and how long it will take but what is the dental surgeon actually doing apart from listening to radio 2 while you are lying there!
First of all I would come into the waiting room to collect my patient. This I feel is important as the experience starts in reception. I ask my patient to make themselves comfortable on the chair and ask about their general health. I will check the medical history and that it has been signed and dated.
I would then ask the patient if have they any specific dental problems since I last saw them. I then check the non toothy bits.
Teeth are the main thrust of the dental business but really its everything from the neck upwards. Jaw joints and the glands, the soft tissues ie the skin inside the mouth and the teeth I then check the gums. A provisional diagnosis is made and this is then communicated to the patient along with the need for any extra tests.(often X Rays).
Every check up I do is checking the teeth but also the general health of the mouth including checking the signs of Oral Cancer. Oral Cancer is very rare but I am always extra vigilant as early detection is key.
I chat all the way through the check up so as a patient you know exactly what I am doing and why I am checking.
All notes are recorded and X Rays developed and shown to the patient so they can understand diagnosis.
Communication and explanation is the route to a great patient-dentist relationship and a few moments to swap holiday news or family gossip is always great.
I usually have a sorry tale of the “one that got away” from the latest fishing trip aswell.
