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Dentistry vocabulary · Patient Communication and Instructions

Medical history

Meaning in dentistry, with examples

nounCore term

In dentistry, medical history means: A record of a patient's health, including illnesses, medicines, allergies, operations and habits such as smoking. Dentists check it before any treatment.

In Turkish: tıbbi öykü, anamnez, sağlık geçmişi

How it is used

Patients fill in or update a medical history form, usually at each new course of treatment. Dentists look especially for blood thinners, bisphosphonates, heart conditions, diabetes, pregnancy and allergies, which can change how treatment is carried out.

Example sentences

  1. Has anything changed in your medical history since your last visit?

  2. Her medical history includes warfarin, so we checked her INR before the extraction.

Common collocations

  • take a medical history
  • update your medical history
  • medical history form
  • relevant medical history
  • informed consentA patient's agreement to treatment, given after the dentist has explained what it involves, its risks and benefits, and the other options, including no treatment.
  • treatment planA written list of the treatments a patient needs, in the order they will be done, often with costs and other options, agreed with the patient before work starts.
  • local anestheticA drug injected near a tooth or nerve to numb one area of the mouth, so that treatment does not hurt while the patient stays fully awake.
  • extractionThe removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone. A simple one uses forceps and elevators; a surgical one may need a cut in the gum or removal of some bone.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Patient Communication and Instructions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.