A patients’ medical history enables the dentist to obtain information necessary to provide safe and individualised care. It is for your own safety and as part of the Australian Dental Regulations that a thorough medical history is taken. A medical history helps to identify conditions relevant to your dental health or which could have an impact on how treatment is carried out.
Information about certain medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, allergies or heart disease could be vital if a medical emergency occurs in the dental practice. Patients’ quite often do not realise that a straight forward clean can have serious medical implications if they have not informed their dentist of specific medical conditions. Patients with heart conditions and/or stents, joint replacements or other conditions requiring careful monitoring may require a prophylactic course of antibiotics prior to dental treatment to be safe.
Even a thyroid condition may hinder the body’s ability to heal wounds and this is then related to extractions or oral surgery you may need now or in the future. Allergies to medications, uncontrolled high or low blood pressure may cause serious consequences if the dentist is not informed or these conditions.
Dentistry is holistic, we help you maintain a healthy well-being and treat you as a person instead of a mouth full of teeth.
Under the Australian Dental Association, we are required to have an updated medical history every 12 months, this means we print out the medical history you filled out last time and ask you to check over it and make any changes and resign it.
Please be assured that all information is kept strictly confidential and is not used outside the dental office without your permission.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call and speak to our friendly staff.