New patients!!! Ok so my question is for those who aren’t digital or when you were digital… Did you guys start the cleaning before X-rays were developed?? All the jobs I have had since school have been digital untill now…. I take the fmx and run it through the machine but I’m not 100 percent comfortable starting a prophy before I see crate… Am I crazy??
I would begin perio charting, charting, existing restorations, taking intraoral pictures if you have a camera and start patient education. By that time the xrays should be ready to mount and view. If not, you can begin scaling supra calc for a few minutes just so time isn’t wasted.
I would be really uncomfortable cleaning before reviewing X-rays but in this case you may have to:( If you find evidence of radiographic calculus after the prophy just discuss SRP as usual. Its obviously better before.
Haha I knew someone was going to say that…I do but I’m too fast…his processor takes forever!! Lol
Can you purposely run the BWs through the developer first and go back and glance at them before starting the prophy? You should be able to tell if there’s sub-gingival calc or bone loss by the BWs. Also, your 11/12 explorer is your friend. Find the tartar that way. We were taught to use tactile senses to find what we need to clean off.
I just hate feeling like I’m running behind…and he has those old ass mounts that are like cardboard, they are a pain to mount haha! I do like how the film is skinny and my X-rays have been pretty spot on bc they are much more comfortable haha
Lol okie doke! Wasn’t sure if I was the only one that felt that way haha! But alrighty I’ll do it haha!
we have been digital so long your question sent me way back when I had to dip the films set the timer change the film set the timer and work on my patient too!!! X-rays, perio chart, tooth chart then start cleaning you will have an inkling of what the x-rays will show when you get them.
Agree with the others-get started! There is a lot to be done and not always enough time to do it all. I also started as a hygienist LONG before digital, so we always started our prophy before xrays were in the room….
Not sure why you’d have to wait. You can probe+explore to decide what step of action you need.
Take BW first… drop them. Perio Probe. Grabe BW. Then continue as needed.
Take BW first. Drop them. Do perio probing. Grab BW. Then continue as needed.
In my office, new patients are scheduled with the doctor to collect “records” first and complete a treatment plan, so I don’t personally run into this problem. However, I agree with many of these comments in that you could run the bitewings first, perio chart, chart existing, etc. Being as efficient with your time as possible is so important as it allows you to be very thorough and provide your patients with the highest standard of care!
Get going…so much you can get on top of before radiographs are available…..crazy to wait…
We schedule our new patients for FMX, Comp exam and PC only. We schedule cleaning after as many times they need SRP and we wasted extra time.
Yes I perio chart, hard tissues chart first and explore with 11/12 explorer all while waiting on X-rays…. I’m not worried about seeing calculus on the film, that’s what the explorer is used for!!! I’m more worried about like a crazy abscess or something! Lol…. I know it sounds crazy….I guess I’m just use to seeing some kind of X-rays first lol…..
Depends on the patient. If you can clearly see signs that they need more than a prophy I find other things to do while the xrays are processing. Otherwise I get started.
Having practiced for 20 years, I think sometimes we are spoiled by technology. Get in there and start doing what you know how to do!! X-rays in hygiene are for confirming what you already suspect or know.
While you are in school you do not start with out xrays! I was about to start scaling yesterday and snapped a couple PAs , the doctor saw two perio abscesses and dismissed my patient from our clinic . I was not happy and neither was my patient!
LOTS of patients (new included) have plenty of calculus that isn’t detectable on images. If no perio, start scaling!
I am not worried about calculus detection with radiographs….I was more worried about the patient having an abscess and me thinking the guy was super healthy! I have come to the conclusion I was scale and just tell him “everything looks good on my end, just gotta check your X-rays to make sure.” (Obviously say that if everything looks good)That way if god forbid he has an abscess or needs a rct that can’t be detected through visual I won’t look like an idiot saying everything looks great! Lol! I try to tell the assistants that just bc calculus isn’t detected on a X-ray doesn’t mean it’s not there…and geez how many ones do we feel decay before we see it?
X rays first and perio etc while developing…but also in the meantime tell him to go DIGITAL!
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