Child Information Form Medical Dental History: Fill & Download for Free

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! This is my sweet spot. I can talk about this forever. If I was better at typing I would write a book! Yet who would read it? Especially with my comma problem.Sorry for the long answer, but I would like to explain why I believe, at 18 years of treating children exclusively, that children are not inherently afraid of the dentist. Dentistry is just a hard thing for them to do. However, the very need and circumstances of dentistry open up a lot of opportunity for fear to develop, so a dentist treating children needs to be forever vigilant.Cavities (accurately: Caries), are a disease that is directly related to nutrition and lifestyle. Our societal attitudes towards food and hygiene and how it is intertwined with the difficulties of parenthood, child behavior, and the curve balls that life throws at you are the driving forces of the silent epidemic of dental decay in the United States.I did not grow up wanting to be a dentist, but I had a good Pediatric Dentist when I was a child, so I was never afraid. When I attended dental school, I was shocked and deeply troubled by some of the stories that my patients told me about their callous and uncaring treatment at the dentist as children. Nearly all of my patients in dental school who had fear of dentistry had it rooted in childhood and also had severe dental neglect, decay, and periodontal disease that disturbingly often led to the need for dentures. At my point of graduating in 1999, I had made more dentures than any other student in the history of the school. 21 arches. I hated making every one, but I loved my patients, and felt privileged (I still do, and I’ll retire if that ever changes) to help them. Strange that I wound up with that patient pool and I never made a denture again!Let me start by saying that a good dentist fundamentally is a person who cares about their patients and wants to help them with their problems. A good dentist is in it for the right reasons.Dentistry is a profession that has several severe drawbacks that are out of the control of, or difficult to manage for the dentist, and they affect the attitudes and behavior of adults (including parents), children, society, and the media.Some of them are:Dentistry is an extremely personal touching of your sensory center. Aside from eyes, ears and the private region, the mouth is an area that people are not used to allowing other people to touch and manipulate. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.When receiving dental treatment, the most efficient and easy way for the practitioner to see what they are doing is to treat the patient while they are in a prone position. Most people feel more vulnerable in a prone position and it can increase their sensitivity. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.Dental work can interrupt your breathing or cover your mouth, forcing you to compensate by breathing through your nose. This can be particularly distressing if you have trouble breathing through your nose, or think that you have this trouble. Thinking you can’t breathe FEELS the same as actually not being able to breathe. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.Dentistry has had a checkered history, especially before the 1960s, with regards to patient comfort and the focus on caring. It doesn’t help that dentistry is kept separate from medical care. It is medical care.Dentistry is a shared experience for most people.Because of the above, if anyone has a bad experience (pain, poor dentistry, choking, etc.), it can imprint as a fundamentally bad experience. This can set the stage for a phobia, or simply an avoidance, of dental cleaning and treatment. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.Many people are very vocal of their dislike of dentistry, and spread that information freely, as a form of social therapy. advice, caution, or sport. This is not helpful.Media and the entertainment industry have picked up on this, and delight in poking fun at dentistry, often with hilarious results. The move The Lorax comes to mind. This is not helpful.Most dental treatment is done using local anesthesia. Most people are not used to having surgical procedures performed while they are awake and aware, and therefore it exposes people to sensations that they will only feel at the dental office. This is a nearly unique aspect of dentistry that makes it stand out. We can manage this, but the only way to avoid this is General Anesthesia.Dentistry is a demanding, unforgiving, intensely difficult profession that requires the dentist to combine a caring, understanding attitude with an intensely focused, meticulous attention to detail. This is not the most common personality mix. Some dentists struggle when they are are caring but not focused and skilled, and others struggle when they are focused and skilled but poorly project empathy and caring.When it comes down to it, a positive dental experience, like many interpersonal reactions in life, is built on trust.Finally, dental disease is rampant, at least in the United States, and people here need regular dental treatment for their health and well-being.For children, we have an opportunity to write the page of dental experiences the right way. While children may be cautious and sensitive in some cases, they are inherently trusting of adults. Breaking that trust in critical young ages is the worst thing that anyone who works with children can do.I can testify that, at least in children, the connection to the person that the child is, as well as building on the trust that children must inevitably give to adults, is the key. Of course, parents are involved, but in the end, the child is the patient. For 18 years, I have routinely, on an hourly basis, treated very young (as young as two, but usually by three or four) children with dental decay. While they were awake, and without making them cry or traumatizing them. These children have needed extractions, fillings, pediatric crowns, or just cleanings. For all the Quora trolls (as I have learned), I have not been 100% successful. That is because I am a human being working with (little) human beings. Every failure is like a scar.Some children cry at the dentist. It is a new and strange environment, with weird smells, strangely dressed people, and no candy or snacks! Yet some children cry at the fair, at the Pediatrician, at Grandma, at dropping their ice cream, at the TV/game going off, at eating their broccoli, even at Disneyland! Children cry because they lack the words to communicate how they feel. Once you establish communication with a child and their parent/caregiver, whom they look to for guidance in this dangerous world, you can build trust.If their parent/caregiver carries around fear or worry about the dentist, or worries for their child, they will broadcast this to the child and that child will be on guard. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.If the child has chronic breathing problems, especially stuffy noses, the dental experience has a high likelihood to be difficult to that child. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.If the child has had previous trauma at a dentist, hospital or physician’s office, that child may be especially fearful. A good dentist will always be aware of that and never be callous to that fact.To care about other people and want to help them is the ultimate goal for anyone who has made healthcare a career. A Pediatric Dentist couldn’t fake caring for children any more than an elementary school teacher. When something bad happens to a child, everyone suffers.Children aren’t afraid of the dentist, children are lacking in experiences, cautious, and curious.Actually, the Dentist is a great place for children to accomplish things that they thought they couldn’t do. When they do that, they grow in confidence and knowledge about themselves and the world. Children need experiences, and hopefully dentistry will be one of the positive ones.Keep smiling!

It depends on the age, the contacts (open or tight between the back teeth), any history of decay, new complaints by patient, and what the visual examination shows. It would be considered improper for a dental office in the US to automatically take x-rays on every child that has a check up just because they’re there.Since the last baby teeth aren’t lost until age 11–12, and they are important for guiding the developing permanent teeth into place, it’s important to accurately diagnose interproximal caries (cavities between the teeth), which is the main use for bitewing x-rays, the ones so often suggested during routine checkups.The American Dental Association cautions its membership against over-exposing patients to ionizing radiation (x-rays), due to its known harmful effects, which accumulate throughout our lives and do not dissipate. The recommendation is to individually assess patients, taking the minimum effective number of radiographs, for example, bitewings every 12–24 months. (Some patients can safely go longer.)In the pediatric dental practice where I worked as the lead hygienist for more than 20 years, we’d take the first set of (two) bitewings at between ages 3 and 6, or as soon as the molars were tight when flossed. This then would provide a baseline with which to compare future x-rays—an important diagnostic concept in dentistry. If all was well (no signs of beginning decay), we’d wait 12–24 months before taking another set. PRO TIP: bitewings are of limited use for detecting decay on the chewing surfaces, or the cheek and tongue sides of molars; and they don’t show anterior teeth at all.Also, at around age 8, we’d take a Panorex (a low radiation single picture of the entire mouth, including the developing permanent teeth—easy on the kiddos as nothing goes in the mouth), to check for abnormalities, such as extra or missing permanent teeth, cysts, etc. This too, becomes a baseline for future comparison. This film, however, isn’t so great for detecting interproximal (between the teeth) decay—that is what bitewing are for. The dental industry typically recommends either a Panorex or a full mouth set of x-rays at approximately 5 year intervals.Some dental insurance companies require dentists to periodically submit x-rays (to support recommended treatment), this however, may be waived if adequate narrative documentation is provided by the dentist as to why there are no x-rays.You have the right to refuse x-rays on behalf of your children. If you do, you may be asked to sign an informed consent form, to document this refusal, which then helps protect the dentist from liability relating to the lack of diagnostic x-rays.Cathye L. Smithwick, RDH, MASilicon Valley Dental HygienistThe foregoing is informational only and is not intended to be medical, dental, financial, or legal advice. I am not a dentist. I am a dental hygienist. The California Dental Practice Act prohibits hygienists from diagnosing disease and/or recommending definitive treatment.

Fortunately, the California courts' website provides information about two types of guardianship - juvenile court and probate. Portions of that information are reproduced below.Concerning Juvenile Court Guardianship:Legal guardianship is a court order that says someone who is not the child’s parent is in charge of taking care of the child. Legal guardians have a lot of the same rights and responsibilities as parents. They can decide where the child lives and goes to school, and they can make decisions about the child’s health care.Note: There are 2 kinds of guardianships in California. Most guardianship cases are in probate court. If the child in your case is NOT a dependent of the juvenile court, go to the Guardianship (Probate Court) section of the Self-Help Center.Who are legal guardians?A guardian does not have to be a relative of the child. Guardians can be:Grandparents,Sisters and brothers,Aunts and uncles,Other relatives,Foster parents,Friends of the family, orSomeone else who knows the child.Guardians’ rights and responsibilitiesHealth care: As guardian, you can make medical decisions for the child. You can give permission for most medical and dental treatments, and for counseling or therapy.But if there is no medical emergency, children over 14 can NOT have surgery unless they agree or you get permission from the court. Sometimes you also need permission from the court to give the child certain medicines.Education: You can choose the child’s school and learning program. Pay attention to how the child does in school and meet with the teacher. If the child needs special education, work with the school to write an individualized education program (IEP). Click for more information about special education.Social services: You can get help for the child from programs like:Head Start,Regional centers (for children with developmental disabilities),California Children’s Services (for children with physical disabilities or certain medical conditions), andAfter-school programs.Where the child lives: You can decide where the child lives. If you move to a different city in California, you have to tell the court in writing. If you want to move out of California, you have to get permission from the court. Different states have different laws about guardianship. Find out about guardianship laws in the state you want to move to.Financial support: Even if there is a guardian, the parents must support their child financially. As guardian, you can choose to support the child by yourself, or if you want help, ask for welfare, foster care payments, or other help. Your county may try to get child support from the parents. Find out how guardians can get financial help.Marriage: You and the court must give the child permission to get married if the child wants to get married before he or she is 18.Armed forces: You can give permission for the child to join the armed forces if the child is younger than 18.Driver’s license: You can give the child permission to apply for a driver’s license. You will have to pay for any damages if the child gets in an accident. You must get insurance to cover the child. If you change your mind later, you can sign a form at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to cancel the child’s license.Child’s misconduct: Like a parent, you have to watch how the child behaves. You can be sued for damages if the child does something wrong. Talk to a lawyer if you are worried about this.Other responsibilities: The judge can ask you to agree to other responsibilities. For example, the judge can set up visits for the child with the parents or sisters and brothers.Concerning Probate Court Guardianship (Guardianship - guardianship_famlaw_selfhelp):Guardianship is when a court orders someone other than the child’s parent to:Have custody of the child; orManage the child's property (called "estate"); orBoth.The information in this section is about probate guardianships. These cases are brought by the person seeking to be appointed guardian or by someone else in the family asking the court to appoint a guardian. If custody of the minor was awarded to a non-parent through the juvenile dependency court, this section does NOT apply.If Child Protective Services (CPS) is involved in your case, you probably have to go to the juvenile court to find out what you can do. Find out more about guardianships in juvenile court.A probate guardianship of the person is set up because a child is living with an adult who is not the child’s parent, and the adult needs a court order to make decisions on behalf of the childTypes of probate guardianshipThere are 2 types of probate guardianship:Guardianship of the personIn a guardianship of the person, the guardian has the same responsibilities to care for the child as a parent would. That means the guardian has full legal and physical custody of the child and can make all the decisions about the physical care of the child that a parent would make. A guardian can be anyone: relatives, friends of the family, or other people suitable to raise the child can ask to be legal guardians.The guardian is responsible for the child's care, including the child's:Food, clothing and shelterSafety and protectionPhysical and emotional growthMedical and dental careEducation and any special needsThe guardian is also be responsible for supervision of the child and may be liable for any intentional damage the child may cause.A guardianship of the person is sometimes needed when, no matter how much parents love their child, they are not able to parent.Maybe 1 or both parents:Have a serious physical or mental illness;Are in the military and have to go overseas;Have to go to a rehab program for a while;Are going to jail for a while;Have a drug or alcohol abuse problem;Have a history of being abusive; orCannot take care of their child for some other reason.The court will look at what is in the best interest of the child to make sure the child is raised in a safe, stable, and loving environment. A legal guardian can care for a child when the parents are unable to.Guardianship of the estateA guardianship of the estate is set up to manage a child's income, money, or other property until the child turns 18. A child may need a guardian of the estate if he or she inherits money or assets. In most cases, the court appoints the surviving parent to be the guardian of the child's estate.In some cases the same person can be the guardian of the person and of the estate. In other cases, the court will appoint 2 different people.The guardian of the estate must:Manage the child's money;Make smart investments; andManage the child's property carefully.A guardianship of the estate is created to manage a child's property.It is needed when:The child owns or receives valuable property, like if a child inherited a house or a large amount of money.A guardianship of the estate is not needed when:A child only owns inexpensive toys and clothing; orThe child receives social security benefits or TANF/CalWorks (welfare).