The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Dental Charting

Before understanding anything else, it is essential to understand what dental charting means. Dental charting is a process in which the medical professional lists the health of your oral health in detail. There is another part of dental charting, known as periodontal charting, and six measurements are taken around each tooth in this one. The charting is made after the checkup at the clinic, and it is shown in graphic form so that it is simpler for the dentist and the patient to understand. 

The dental chart

It is a tool that organizes every little detail about oral health. The dentist who checks your oral health makes the chart and writes down the details in it. There are different forms and ways in which the chart is made, like graphical, representation form, and pictorial. The chart shows every little detail about each tooth, and there are small spaces to fill in the details of the health. There are various types of conditions and issues that are described in detail on the chart, which are as follows: 

• Missing teeth
• Abnormalities, if any, like rotations, enamel, and much more
• Damage to any tooth
• Areas of decay
• Presence of bridges, implants, and fillings
• Depth of the gum pockets, gum recession, and much more
• Movement in the teeth
• Any bleeding in the gums
• Attachment of the teeth to the gums

Here are some reasons for dental charting

Your dental healthcare professional will make this chart in such an informative way that it is convenient for you to understand the issues and solutions to those. The dentist creates this chart to have all the information in one place and make it easier to do future checkups. The dental chart also allows the doctor to track the progress of any patient’s dental health. 

Benefits of dental charting

Benefits for a dental healthcare provider:

• The chart will give you a reference to the progress and issues of the dental health of any patient
• The dental charting is easy to read and records everything in an organized way
• It will help you in referring to things during future visits
• It can update the accurate record of the oral health

Benefits for the patient:

• It helps the dentist in having all the information about the patient
• The chart also helps in keeping track of the progress and addressing any issue that requires treatment

What to expect during a dental charting?

During the dental checkup, the doctor will go through every little detail and put that on the chart, which makes it easier to have all the information in one place. The chart is then regularly updated during future visits, and if there are any problems, then the treatments are done accordingly. The chart helps in tracking the progress and the notable issues, if any. There is also a number count of the teeth, and if there is anything that is missing, then the dentist makes a note of it on the chart. The teeth are all numbered on the chart, and the hygienist examines the teeth accordingly while recording every little detail. Detailed number charting is known as periodical charting, which helps in understanding or pointing out any tooth decay. 

Conclusion

The advantage of having a dental chart is that it makes the follow-up with the doctor easy because the progress is tracked in order, making it possible. The issues are listed, and it becomes easier for the dentist to recommend treatments accordingly.