Patient Assessment & Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real CDC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment & Evaluation flashcards as text
A dental consultant reviewing records notes an ASA III classification for a patient. What does this indicate?
Answer: A patient with severe systemic disease that limits activity
ASA III indicates a patient with a severe systemic disease that limits activity but is not incapacitating, such as poorly controlled diabetes or moderate COPD.
Which radiographic finding on a periapical film is most consistent with a periapical abscess?
Answer: Widened periodontal ligament space at the apex
A periapical abscess typically shows a radiolucent area at the root apex with loss of lamina dura and widened PDL space.
During a comprehensive patient assessment, the Ramfjord teeth are used to assess which condition?
Answer: Periodontal status as an index measurement
The Ramfjord teeth (teeth 3, 9, 12, 19, 25, 28) serve as representative index teeth for periodontal epidemiological assessments.
A patient presents with trismus, swelling, and a fever of 102°F. The dental consultant should recognize this as:
Answer: A space infection requiring urgent evaluation
Trismus with swelling and fever are hallmarks of a spreading odontogenic space infection, which may require hospitalization.
What is the primary purpose of the fremitus test during occlusal assessment?
Answer: To identify teeth with fremitus during occlusal contact indicating mobility under load
Fremitus testing detects tooth vibration during occlusal loading, identifying teeth with excessive occlusal forces or mobility.
When documenting recession during patient assessment, which measurement is most clinically relevant?
Answer: Distance from CEJ to the free gingival margin
Recession is measured from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the free gingival margin, indicating how much root surface is exposed.
In assessing a patient for dry mouth during a dental consultation, which objective finding is most diagnostic?
Answer: Inability to float a cracker without water and frothy saliva
Clinical signs of xerostomia include frothy saliva, inability to eat dry foods without water, and sticky mucosa upon examination.