The first time you visit our office, we’ll ask you to fill out a complete medical and dental history form. Here, you can read about what we need to know, and why we need to know it!
Why Does Guildford Orthodontics Need to Know My Medical History?
The medical and dental history forms you fill out will be part of the registration process during your first visit. It includes questions about lifestyle (such as whether or not you smoke, or if you play impact sports) and your personal and family medical history.
All this information, in combination with the information we gather during your initial examination, will guide us as we develop an appropriate and effective treatment plan for you.
What information is included on the medical history form?
When filling out your form, be sure to include everything you know about your past and present state of health, any medications you are taking, and any diseases or disorders you have.
Many diseases that affect other parts of your body can also affect the health of your teeth, and can therefore alter the course of treatment we develop for you.
For instance, Diabetes can increase the risk of periodontal disease, and so we’ll know to choose a teeth straightening option for you that makes it as easy as possible to keep your gums clean and healthy.
Information about medicines you take can be vital to your oral health. For example, if your medication causes dry mouth (as many do), this can increase your risk of cavities. And aside from this issue, we need to be sure that any medication we prescribe won’t conflict with something you are already taking.
For example, if you need to undergo jaw surgery as part of your treatment plan, then a medication you take may make it necessary for us to change the type of anesthesia we use.
Updates
Be sure to update us any time your health status changes. This includes letting us know if you change medications, are pregnant, smoke or develop allergies.
Privacy
We cannot and will not release any medical information you provide us without your consent. However, we may ask you to sign a consent form so that we can release your medical information to your insurance company for your health insurance benefits.