PAEDIATRIC
DENTISTRY, UBTH
Relevance of past medical history,
past dental history, family history and
diet history to the Paediatric dentist
By
Dr Oyekpen Henshaw Akhidenor
Outline
• Introduction
• Components history taking
• Past Medical history
• Past Dental history
• Family history
• Diet history
• Conclusion
• Reference
Introduction
History taking enables the clinician to collect
relevant personal details by interview, which will
form the basis for diagnosis and treatment.
In pediatric dentistry, taking a comprehensive
patient history is crucial for effective diagnosis
and treatment planning. A detailed history
allows us to understand the child's overall health
and identify factors that may influence their oral
health.
• history taking enables the
patients to communicate
symptoms, feelings and fears
and the sequence of events
leading to the problem for
which the patient seeks
professional assistance
• Accurate diagnosis of a disease
depends on the art of history
taking.
Key aspects of this history include past
medical history, past dental history,
family history, and diet history. Each of
these elements provides valuable
insights that help us deliver personalized
and effective care to our young patients.
Components of history taking
The basic structure of the history is as follows:
Patient’s biodata
Presenting complaint (PC)
History of presenting complaint (HPC)
Past dental history (PDHx)
Past medical history (PMHx)
Drug history (DHx)
Family history (FHx)
Social history (SHx)
PATIENT BIODATA
• Patient name
–To establish a better
communication with the patient.
–To establish a rapport with the
patient.
–Maintenance of record.
–To elicit the history properly.
–Medico legal purpose.
• Age
The chronological age (date of birth)
should be noted.
1)To compare with other ages
(dental,skeletal) so as to knowwhether
the growth and development is normal
in the child.
2)Certain diseases are known to occur
frequently at particular ages
3)Depending on the age the behavior
– management techniques also vary.
Sex
– Girls age faster than boys and thus
their treatment may be require
dearlier.
– Some diseases are more common
in females than in males.
–A combination of age and sex can
sometimes give an indication
ofoccurrence of disease.
• Address
–It is used for all communications even
before the first visit.
–By knowing the locality along with the
family income and parent’s
occupation,the socio-economic status
can be assessed.
–If the patient is coming from a far
distance,the appointments can
bemodified to complete treatment in
fewer visits.
–It may indicate diseases endemic to
History taking.
Chief complaint
• It is defined a symptom or symptoms,
described in patient own words,
related tothe presence of an abnormal
condition.
• History of present illness
Chronological account of the chief
complaint and associated symptoms
from thetime of onset to the time the
history is taken.The most common
presenting illness can be evaluated as,
1)The onset
2)Duration
3)Location
4)The quantity, quality, severity and
frequency of occurrence
5)Aggravating and relieving factors
6)Associated symptoms
Medical history
• This helps in identifying
conditions that could alter,
complicate or contraindicate
proposed dental procedures.Does
the patient suffer from any of the
following at present or in the
past?
Congenital diseases
Rheumatic fever
Anemia
Asthma
Bleeding disorders
Hepatitis
Epilepsy.
Mental or physical handicap
Sensory deficits
Speech defects
Kidney disorders
Bone & joint problems
Growth and development
Past dental history
a) It gives information about the patients
past dental problems.
b) Frequency of dental visit by the patient
which gives an indication of the patient’s
future behavior.
c) Patient’s attitude towards previous
dental treatment
d) Any untoward complication of dental
treatment.
e) To know about any excessive bleeding in
the past dental treatment
F) The past dental history will also help in assessing the
Family and social history
a) It gathers information about
diseases thatcommonly affects more
than one member of a family.
b) Certain disorders that should
be inquired are-
– Bleeding disorders
–Heart disease
– Diabetes
–Tuberculosis
– Asthma
–Allergies
–Genetic disorders
–Malocclusion
c)Siblings:Number:Order:sex
DIETARY HISTORY
• Type of diet- Vegetarian or non vegetarian
• Quantity and frequency of solids and
liquids in meals.
• Intake of sweetened food e.g.
Carbohydrates.
