Why Your Oral Surgeon Cares About Your Medical History

During your first oral surgeon consultation, we will ask you to provide a comprehensive medical history. Your patient registration forms may include questions about your lifestyle, health history and specific health problems in your family. The surgical staff and nursing personnel may ask for additional information.

Why is all this necessary?

It’s so we can use your medical history, along with the results of your clinical examination and testing, to ensure that your treatment plan is both safe and effective.

What Health Information Should You Share with Your Oral Surgeon?

You should share all your past health information — and that of your family — with your oral surgeon. Don’t stick just to issues related to the mouth, teeth and jaws, either. Mention everything, even if you don’t think it relates to your current problem.

Major illnesses and chronic medical conditions can have a significant effect on oral health and on the recommended treatment approach for dental and jaw problems. Your oral surgeon also needs to know about previous surgeries to make decisions about anesthesia and procedure recovery.

Do You Need to Tell Oral Surgeons About Medication?

You should always tell any medical professional about any prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements that you take. Certain medications can increase the risk of dry mouth and other oral health problems, while others can interact with pain medication or anesthesia.

When you come in for your first oral surgeon consultation, bring along a list of the prescriptions and over-the-counter vitamins, supplements and medications you take, along with the dosage. Review the list before every appointment, and be sure to notify the staff of any changes.

How Do You Know Your Medical History Will Remain Private?

All federal doctor-patient confidentiality laws and ethical privacy guidelines protect communication between oral surgeons and their patients. Surgeons cannot disclose a patient’s private information without your prior consent.

Before releasing patient information to anyone — including insurance companies —surgeons require patients to sign consent forms. Nothing about your office visits, evaluation, diagnosis or treatment plan is shared without a signed release form.

Here at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Utah, we understand the importance of medical history in planning the safest and most effective treatment approach. Our oral surgeons, surgical assistants, nursing staff and administrative personnel take patient confidentiality seriously — we will never share your information without your written approval.

We provide the highest standard of professional care, always putting compassion and patient comfort first. As the leading oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in the Salt Lake City area for over a decade, you can trust our team to help you achieve lasting oral health while maintaining your privacy.

Contact our Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan or Tooele office and schedule an oral surgeon consultation today.