How to Take a Medical History for Dentistry

Regular dental exams and treatments are an important part of remaining healthy, according to a Mayo Clinic report a linking oral hygiene with heart disease, strokes and other ailments. When a patient arrives at a dentist office for a cleaning, tooth extraction or other dental procedures, it’s important to take a medical history. This history provides the dentist with the overall health of the patient including past problems, current medications and any allergies they have. It also ensures the procedure won’t negatively affect the individual’s health.

Instructions

• 1

  Discuss problems and complaints with the patient. As the dental hygienist or assistant, confirm the reason for the patient’s visit to the dentist, and ask if the patient has been experiencing any problems with his teeth or mouth. Find out if the patient has any pain with a specific tooth or if he has pain when consuming hot or cold beverages and food. Make a notation of this on the patient’s record, so the dentist can follow up when she arrives to examine the patient.

• 2

  Ask the patient about any health issues they have such as diabetes, anemia or heart disease. The dentist needs to know if health problems exist, so they can adjust their treatment if necessary to prevent any problems. For example, a diabetic patient may need to receive an insulin shot while at the dentist's office if his dental procedure will take a long time.

• 3

  Check for current medications. Find out what medications the patient is currently taking. Learn how often the medication is taken and why the patient is taking it. Ask about any illegal drug use since this can interfere with medications or treatments the dentist provides.

• 4

  Ask about allergies. Learn if the patient is allergic to any specific type of medication or drug. Inquire about any allergies to specific types of materials. For example, some people are allergic to latex, which means the dentist will need to use a different type of glove when providing treatment.

• 5

  Write down physician information. Request the patient provide the name, phone number and address of their primary physician. This allows the dentist to consult with the physician if a health problem or medication may interfere with the dental treatment being provided.