EVALUATION OF MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS IN A PREDOCTORAL DENTAL CLINIC

Objective. A patient's medical condition can affect the delivery of de ntal care. Medical consultation is indicated for dental patients whose medical history is uncertain or when physical assessment may indicate an untreated medical problem. The aims of this study were to evaluate the use of medical consultation and determine how it affects dental t reatment plans in a predoctoral dental clinic program. Study design. R eviews of 147 medical consultation requests were performed. Results. T he main reasons for medical consultations were cardiovascular assessme nt (51.5%) and diabetic status determination (12.6%). In the cardiovas cular assessment category, hypertension (48.1%) and heart murmur (17.9 %) were primary concerns. Main dental concerns were the need for preop erative antibiotic prophylaxis (33.3%) and the use of vasoconstrictors (20.4%). Overall, 32.1% of medical consultations resulted in an alter ation in dental treatment plans. As a result of medical consultations, 8% commenced their medical management. Conclusions. These results ind icated that medical consultations could reduce the medical risk associ ated with dental procedures and unnecessary antibiotic prophylaxis. Th erefore for many dental patients, good communication between dentists and physicians is essential for adequate care.