Importance Of A Dental Chart

The dental chart is typically used in dental care where it shows how deep the gum pockets are around the tooth including any abnormalities in the radiographic and clinical findings. The chart will be included in the patient’s record where it can be used for future reference.

Significance Of Dental Chart

There are many reasons why getting a dental chart and teeth numbering of the patient is necessary.

  • For starters, the human dental chart represents the condition of the teeth including both the soft and hard tissues so the dentist can recommend the proper dental treatment.
  • The dental chart can also serve as part of patient’s medical and dental record, for use in whatever purpose necessary.
  • This dental record can also serve as a legal document when needed.

The Best And Effective Dental Chart

The best way to fill in the dental chart is to have two people do the job at the same time. One will be checking the patient’s teeth while the other takes down notes. But both tasks can still be done even by just one dentist.

Charting System

There is actually a system on how to do the charting correctly, which is comprised of the following three steps:

  1. It usually starts with an evaluation of the gingiva to see whether there are any calculus present.
  2. The next step would be determining if there is any missing tooth. The measurement of the missing tooth is calculated using a probe.
  3. The last step is to determine whether there are any lesions present.

All of the above details, and other dental observations, will be noted on the chart.

Number Systems

Dentists often refer to their dental numbering chart to refer to a specific tooth. There are two number systems that they use for their dental chart and these are the Universal Numbering System and the FDI World Dental Federation notation.

The dental chart and the numbering system used can help dentists communicate with one another. The chart can be helpful especially when exchanging notes about the patient’s dental care and to be able to prevent any miscommunications when it comes to proper dental treatment like surgery and such. This is why it is imperative that you find a clear and understandable dental chart to use for your dental clinic.

User Friendly Chart

When looking for a dental chart to use for your clinic, make sure that is user friendly like a baby teeth chart. The chart should be easy enough to understand so the assistant will be able to note down all the information like bleeding, halitosis, and other pertinent dental observation. There are several user friendly dental charts available like those manufactured by the Dentalable Company. A short hand notation is usually affixed to the chart to determine the type of pathology.

Looking for dental chart for personal use isn’t difficult at all especially when you can download them online. You can find a printable dental tooth chart for ease of use. This is far cheaper and easier to acquire especially when you are running short on dental charts. The best part is that you don’t have to pay for this at all.