RESPIRATORY/DENTISTRY How to Document a Dental Examination and Procedure Using a Dental Chart Stephen S. Galloway, DVM Author’s address: Animal Care Hospital, 8565 Highway 64, Somerville, Tennessee 38068; e-mail:
[email protected]. © 2010 AAEP. 1. Introduction and oral anatomical locations, pathologies, diag- A dental chart is a permanent record of a patient’s noses, treatments, procedures, and dental materi- dental care, and completion of a dental chart is the als. Terminology and abbreviations specific to minimum standard of care for documenting any pro- equine dentistry have also been accepted by the fessional dental procedure. Dental charting is the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry (AVD). An exten- process of recording the state of health or disease of sive glossary of veterinary dental terminology can be the teeth and oral cavity, and it is an integral part of found in veterinary dental texts.2,3 Extensive lists the examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, of the abbreviations accepted by the AVDC and the and monitoring of dental cases.1 The dental chart AVD are available online within the application provides legal documentation of the procedure per- packets for these organizations. Diagnostic and formed and facilitates communication with colleagues. treatment abbreviations commonly used by the au- The scope of this paper is limited to documenting thor are listed in Appendix A. routine equine dental care (occlusal adjustment, Although various systems for describing and num- floating, periodontal therapy, and simple extrac- bering teeth are recognized, the Modified Triadan tions). Although the purpose of this paper is not to Tooth Numbering System is the tooth-identification describe how to perform a dental examination, a system of choice in veterinary dentistry.4 This sys- thorough oral examination is prerequisite to com- tem is applicable to most domestic animal species pleting an accurate dental chart.