Taking Dental History

Evaluation of a patient begins with a carefully obtained history of the patient.

2. What is dental history of a patient?

Dental history is the complete information about the patient and the course of the disease.

3. Why is it necessary for a dentist to take dental history of a patient?

Dental history of a patient is needed for a dentist to make a correct clinical diagnosis and plan

proper treatment.

4. What does the initial information about a patient include?

Initial information about a patient includes his name, address, sex, age, occupation, and marital status.

5. What dental habits does the dentist ask the patient about?

The most common questions are: tooth cleaning habits, what toothpaste is used, what type of

toothbrush is used, smoking or not smoking.

6. Why should the dentist be informed about the patient’s diet?

The dentist should be informed about the patient’s diet because it plays an important role in dental caries as well as in wear.

7. What is the information about general health condition composed of?

The information about general health condition is composed of known allergies, heart diseases, other serious diseases (such as diabetes, anemia, tumors, and any infections), pregnancy, and any difficulties to stop bleeding after tooth extraction.

8. What does the information about previous dental treatment provide?

The information about previous dental treatment provides some clues as to motivation, likely

attendance pattern, problems with local and general anesthesia, orthodontics, periodontal treatment etc.

9. How can a dentist establish good communication with the patient?

Firstly,the patient should be seated comfortably. Everything that could interfere with

comprehension, for example, music or loud conversation in an adjacent room, should be avoided.

Then,the dentist should not use any medical terms that the patient cannot understand. And last, if the dentist noticed any dental anxiety of the patient, he should try to support him.

10. What does the dentist do after taking dental history of the patient?

After taking dental history of the patient, the dentist starts the initial examination of the oral cavity.