Oral Health | Clinical and Risk Asessment | Assessment for orthodontic referral

Assessment for orthodontic referral
Session overview
Description
This session aims to demonstrate how to identify and refer cases requiring complex orthodontic treatment and how to identify conditions in the mixed dentition not yet requiring intervention.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• identify and refer cases with unusual development status such as, cleft lip and palate syndromic conditions, facial asymmetry, ankylosis, supernumerary teeth and oligodontia
• identify and refer such cases as antero-posterior or vertical jaw discrepancy, excessive protrusion or retrusion of incisors, unerupted teeth, missing permanent teeth and severe tooth or arch discrepancy
• identify conditions in the mixed dentition not yet requiring intervention

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should:

• have some experience in examining child, adolescent and adult patients
• know the normal sequence of dental eruption
• have an understanding of basic orthodontic terminology
• have completed the eDen session 1 Patient assessment/Assessment methods and techniques/A general orthodontic examination of the patient

It is important for the primary care dentist to distinguish moderate from complex problems because this process will determine if patients are appropriately treated by a general dental practitioner or referred to a specialist.

In medicine the triage process is used to separate patients by the severity of their condition in order that they can be treated in the most appropriate environment.

A similar process should be applied to orthodontic conditions.

The general dental practitioner should consider the various problems of dental development which may occur leading to dental or facial deformity and refer appropriately.

A typical orthodontic 'triage' scheme is shown on the right.