Preventive Care: Dentistry

The oral exam in the awake patient should give you a good idea of the amount of calculus, plaque, and gingivitis in the mouth, but 50–60% of the tooth is under the gum and cannot be assessed on the awake patient. On the other hand, occlusion can only be truly assessed on an awake patient. Once our patients are anesthetized, jaw tone becomes lax, and occlusion can no longer be evaluated.

Watch the video to learn how to perform an oral examination in the awake patient.