1-15. REQUEST FOR CONSULTATIONS
a. Within the Dental Service. The different services of the dental clinic will
ordinarily be represented by dental officers having specialized training or ability. The
dental officer in the oral medicine or treatment planning service often will consult one or
more of these dental officers with particular specialties to aid in the diagnosis of a
particular problem or implementing a course of treatment. It is important that pertinent
information obtained from these sources be recorded in the appropriate dental forms. DA
Form 3984 (Dental Treatment Plan) provides the opportunity to request consultation and
includes room for the consultant's remarks and recommendations. The treatment plan
provides systematic approach to clinical care. The form is retained as part to the patient's
dental health record until the dental treatment plan has been accomplished or has been
replaced. Detailed instructions for the preparation and maintenance of the dental
treatment plan are found in TB MED 250.
b. Referral To and From Other Sources. The dental officer may wish to consult
a medical officer about a patient, or a medical officer may initiate a request for dental
consultation. A standard form available for this purpose is SF 513 (Clinical Record--
Consultation Sheet). The attending dental officer initiates this form in duplicate. He may
discuss the case with the consultant or take the patient to the consultant. The medical
officer initiates the request for dental consultation from the hospital ward. If this
consultation is limited to examination, no entry is required on SF 603 (Dental Health
Record). However, when dental treatment is provided because of this consultation, such
treatment must be recorded and charted on the patient's SF 603 in order to maintain an
accurate dental health record of that patient. Prolonged treatment in the hospital for a
single dental condition, such as a fractured jaw, need not be recorded in detail on SF 603.
In most cases, a summary of the condition will be recorded on SF 603 by the attending
dental officer. The completed SF 513 is returned to the referring activity or the hospital
ward and is a permanent part of the patient's hospital clinical record upon completion of
the dental consultation.
1-16. STUDY CASTS
a. Definition. Study casts are another aid in examination and diagnosis. They
are plaster or artificial stone casts poured in accurate impressions of the dental arches.
These are often mounted on an anatomic articulator (articulator which may be adjusted to
reproduce the movement of the jaw).
b. Function. Study casts are used to:
(1) Permit study of alignment and occlusal relationships of the teeth outside
the confines of the patient's mouth.
(2) Permit coordinated study of the teeth and radiographs after the patient
has left the office and the radiographs have been processed and dried.
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