Dental charting is an integral part of any patient’s dental clinic visit. It is the first step in any basic dental procedure. This makes it extremely important for every professional to be handy with dental charts. So, Dental Charting: All You Need To Know to help you understand the importance of dental charts, here is everything you need to know about dental charting. Read this article until the end for the best experience. Dental Charting: All You Need To Know
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Dental Charting: An Overview
Initially, dental charting was introduced into dentistry to record a patient’s dentition. Professionals developed a shorthand to make their notes and develop a dental care plan. Then, this shorthand developed into an invaluable tool in forensic tracing, monitoring a patient’s dental health, establishing a patient’s oral health care, and identifying oral health issues.
The dental chart needs to be updated after every dental examination. This update can be on paper or digitally. Still, with the developing world, the dental clinic industry needs to develop, which is why the charting has mostly transferred to digital charting software. The dental charts are centered around a grid chart of the human mouth. Charting systems recently allow recording the health or decay on particular tooth surfaces such as:
- The Mesial surface
- The Distal surface
- The Buccal/Labial surface
- The Lingual/Palatal surface
- The incisal/Occlusal surface
The chart shows the areas with a healthy tooth and the areas with any apparent anomalies. These anomalies might be a missing tooth, decay, an existing restoration, etc. They can also show on the chart the findings and which of those apply to the tooth crown along with which of those apply to the tooth root.
Different Charting Systems
There are many different charting systems globally, but the four most common of these are as follows:
1. Alphanumeric Notation
In this system of charting, the mouth is divided into four quadrants. The upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left quadrant. The permanent teeth are numbered 1 to 8, and the deciduous teeth are numbered A to E.
2. Palmer Notation
This system of charting is numerical and sign-based. It uses similar primary and secondary teeth markers as the alphanumeric notation.
3. FDI World Dental Federation System
In this charting system, a double-digit notation is used where the first digit reflects the quadrant of the teeth (UR=1, UL=2, LL=3, LR=4) and the second digit shows which tooth of that quadrant, the same as the Palmer notation.
4. Universal Numbering System
In this system, the teeth are numbered 1 to 32. The count starts on the upper right and continues clockwise. For example, the number 18 reflects the lower left first molar teeth.
Importance of Dental Charting
Dental charting is essential for several reasons, and they are as follows:
- The presence of any dental disease is recorded by dental charts that are accessible anytime.
- For medical and legal reasons, professionals need to be aware of all pathology and teeth problems present before any dental treatment.
- The success/failure of any treatment cannot be gauged if the gradual changes in the teeth and gums over time are not recorded.
- A patient observing the extensive dental charting might take care of their teeth and gums.
- It is a great dental practice.
The Bottom Line
Dental charting is very important for every basic dental procedure, making it essential for dental professionals to be handy at these charts. The only way to be perfect at anything is by practicing it. So, dental professionals should use online websites to practice dental charting. There are many advantages of maintaining an extensive dental chart for dental professionals.
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