Discussion: Patient assessment and management

CONCLUSION

Proper management of the traumatized patient starts with a comprehensive patient assessment and correct diagnosis so that an adequate and timely treatment plan can be implemented. This is important in establishing the most ideal and safest dental treatment option. The patient’s medical status should be evaluated to ensure that no urgent medical treatment is necessary before managing the dental trauma. A thorough tissue evaluation is imperative, both clinically and radiographically. Proper documentation is necessary with regard to the events that initiated the traumatic injury and for recording all significant findings of the clinical exam. Finally, all patients with traumatic injuries to the head and neck region should be contacted several hours after treatment and again on the following days to check on their status. Patients should be seen if there are any complications, and a referral to their primary care physician is advisable in the event of any adverse change in their medical status.

Concluding remarks

Meticulous patient assessment and examination are pivotal to achieving successful outcomes in esthetic dental practice. The clinician must have a clear understanding of the concepts of symmetry, proportion, shape, function and form that underpin treatments aimed at achieving an esthetically pleasing dento-facial appearance. The clinician must, however, refrain from stereotyping and judging patients relative to ‘ideals’. Each and every patient must be attentively listened to and assessed as an individual, according to their concerns, needs and expectations.

The use of reversible mock-up techniques can help to establish whether it is possible to meet the patient’s needs, as well as serving as a most useful means of conveying essential information to the dental technologist.