Systemic health
Dental clearance for medical procedures
Frequently, patient's will require dental clearance prior to surgeries or other significant medical procedures. Most commonly, these are joint replacement surgery, cardiac surgery, and the initiation of cancer treatment. Our office follows a set protocol for these situations in order to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.
Clearance protocol
Clearance will be provided by a doctor and is based on each patient's individual medical and dental health, risk profile, and the planned medical procedure.
In general, the following is the minimum required to provide clearance:
- Periodic or comprehensive examination within the past 5 months. (Not a limited examination.)
- Bitewing (cavity detection) radiographs within 1 year.
- Pantomograph or complete mouth series showing the apices (tips) of all teeth within 1 year.
- No planned or proposed disease control treatment of both hard (cavities) and soft (gum)tissues.