Is there anything different in the Risk Assessment process for a patient’s first assessment, versus for a patient who has had previous assessments?

The screens that display while you enter data will vary depending on a few factors, such as Patient Age, whether they have had Risk Assessments in the past, etc. Your communication will likely change as well, depending on whether you are introducing the patient to the concept for the first time, or discussing the change in risk scores over time for Patients with a history of Risk Assessments.

For Perio and Caries Risk Assessments, if a Patient has been risk assessed before, you are asked to indicate Treatments Performed since the last Risk Assessment. For Oral Cancer Risk Assessments, you are asked the same questions no matter if the Patient has been risk assessed previously or not.

What if I only have a poor-quality x-ray (radiograph) from the current exam as a reference?

We recommend that you go back and use a previous x-ray, the most recent available.

In this situation, the clinician should use previous records and his or her best judgment to determine the radiographic bone height from the CEJ.

On the Patient Info screen, it asks me to characterize the condition of a specific type of tooth. My patient’s teeth have varying levels of decay. Which option should I choose?

Select the option that indicates the most extreme level of decay or damage to any tooth of that type. For example, if one tooth is sound and another is carious, you should select “carious”.

What if I don’t know the answer to questions about the patient’s family or snack habits - should I leave that part of a Caries Risk Assessment blank?

This is important information to calculate the risk score for this age group, so you will need to obtain this information from the patient or parent or guardian during the exam. The question about snacks between meals is one of the required fields to complete the Risk Assessment.

Which teeth do I consider to determine how many months a patient has been “Caries Free”? Only the Target Tooth, or all the teeth?

The classification of a patient being "caries-free" pertains to any and all teeth.

What is a Target Tooth?

The “Target Tooth” is an area of focus in determining the Caries Risk Score. It describes the type of tooth that has been most recently exposed to saliva for at least 12 months. In other words, what type of tooth has erupted and begun to grow in most recently, but has been exposed in the mouth since the initial eruption for at least 12 months before the date of the exam?

How often should I perform a Risk Assessment on a specific patient? (What is the recommended frequency?)

You can perform Risk Assessments on a patient as often as you wish. The fee for a new Risk Assessment ($6) includes unlimited Risk Assessments (Perio, Caries, and Oral Cancer) within a calendar year. You might consider making it an annual part of the patient’s care routine. Also, if the patient has a change in health or some event affects their oral health, their risk score may change, so you may wish to incorporate a new Risk Assessment in connection with any oral health change or major treatment.

What is the difference between the two categories of surgery ("pockets" and "crown length, recession") which appear on the Treatments Performed screen?

The distinction between surgery for “pockets” and “crown length, recession” is the purpose of the surgery. Curettage, gingivectomy, gingival flap surgery, ENAP, and osseous surgery are generally to effect a change in the pocket. Crown lengthening surgery increases the visible amount of tooth (sticking out of the gums) and is not meant to “reduce” pocket depth. The method of osseous surgery is identical to crown lengthening surgery. The only differences are purpose and the former is done where periodontal disease exists. Crown lengthening surgery is done where periodontal disease does not exist. Mucogingival surgery includes several types all of which reduce the visible amount of tooth, create a thicker and wider amount of gum tissue or achieve both results. Mucogingival surgery is done because of recession. The purpose of these procedures is to improve appearance, prevent recession, or both.

How do I change the default information that displays on printed reports?

On the Options page, you can control the default settings for printed reports. If you change your phone number, for example, you can alter your Account Information on this screen and the updated data will appear on reports created after that, regardless of when the report was created. On the Options screen you also determine the default settings (e.g. whether to include treatment recommendations and tutorial links). You can also make limited changes for a specific report on the Printing Options screen, where you can select whether to change the default settings.

Why does the report look "fuzzy" on my monitor?

The reports are optimized for printing, rather than on-screen viewing. This means the screen resolution may not clearly display the high-resolution graphics, but when you print the report, it produces a sharp and attractive document.