USES OF STETHOSCOPE IN DENTISTRY

So today, our topic is a little different and a little interesting.

One of the most frequently asked question is that why do dentists use stethoscope in daily OPDS?

Many of you might have come across hundreds of rants on various social media platforms about dentists wearing stethoscopes. The common public thinks that our sole job is only to clean and extract teeth. It is part of our job, but we can not ignore the basics. So, in following few points we will try our best to answer the question that why we use steth!

1.BlOOD PRESSURE

All of us are taught the importance of assessing the BP before we even dare to put a scaler in our patient's mouth. Why so? Because:

It detects undiagnosed hypertension.

We measure BP of Cardiac/hypertensive patients because they need extra care in any minor or major dental surgery to avoid any chairside emergency.

Blood pressure readings are required in order to choose the appropriate local anesthetic for dental injections.

Taking blood pressure is an easy action we can all take each day to advance our profession.

2. Temporomandibular Joint Auscultation*

Joint sound is one of the characteristic features of TMJ disorders for many patients. Physical examination of the TMJ often involves light finger palpation and STETHOSCOPE AUSCULTATION as needed. The stethoscope is modified and auscultation is done by experts with specific techniques.

3. Thyroid Auscultation*

As we dentists cover majorly Head and Neck area, so we need a stethoscope for auscultation of the thyroid. By doing so, you may hear a thyroid bruit. A thyroid bruit is described as a continuous sound that is heard over the thyroid mass.

Furthermore, details are there in the textbooks and on google. So next time if someone asks you why dentists use stethoscopes, Tag them here to increase their knowledge!