So one of the big issues and changes in dentistry now is airway and how do we deal with it with our complete concept of dentistry. So one of the things we have to do now as part of the complete exam is we have to add an airway screening into our examination. We’ve actually already done this in our protocols at The Dawson Academy.
Airway Screening Protocols
We’ve changed the protocols within our system, and actually, we’ve added these changes into the Dawson Diagnostic Wizard. The importance for things here is, our patients have to be able to breathe adequately before we can proceed with irreversible care. So in the past, after the end of the examination we check for three things: are the joints healthy, and what does that tell us, what’s the examination tell us.
Proceeding After Examinations
And then we decide our patient type, whether it’s a general or specialty patient. Now we’re starting with can the patient breathe adequately? And if they can’t, we can’t proceed with definitive care.
So the change here is before we start with anything irreversible, we have to be able to do, as part of our examination, a screening for adequate airway.
To learn more about airway disorders and the role of the dentist in screening and treating them, enroll in the Airway Symposium.
