Looking back at my own thoughts part 1

Continuing the theme of correcting my younger colleagues, I thought it would be pertinent to look back at my old posts and correct any concepts that I now disagree with. Looking back I can remember some of the situations that prompted me to post on such matters and seeing them again with the eyes of experience sheds a different light on the subject.

http://dental-tidbits.blogspot.com/2014/03/blog-post.html
My very first post on this blog. Apparently I did continue the blog haha..

http://dental-tidbits.blogspot.com/2014/03/011-soft-tissue-exam.html
The plaque free before the examination is probably something I should do more of these days. It is not possible to examine a dentition well that is covered in plaque. If the plaque is so thick that it hinders examination I would love to plaque dye it and take photos to show the patient what the problem is. This can be a powerful tool to motivate.

I don't check TMJ and lymph nodes routinely but it definitely wouldn't hurt to do this. It is 1 minute of work that can save your bum down the line if a patient accuses you of causing a click in their TMJ and you can prove that it was there to begin with.

I definitely still put the same importance in soft tissue examination before hard tissue. As dentists we tend to look at the teeth first which distracts us from everything else. Spend a good amount of time checking the soft tissues and trying to actively ignore the teeth. Check mucosa, tongue, palate, floor of mouth and gingiva. I wasn't aware that I was checking tonsils that long ago but depress the tongue and get the patient to say "Ahh". Look for enlargement (tonsil grading), signs of inflammation, asymmetry and tonsil stones.