General view

Clinical examination of the patient's teeth begins with a general assessment of the health status of the dentition. Points of interest include number of missing teeth, number and size of fillings and other restorations, hygiene conditions such as plaque and gingival bleeding, and occlusion.

It is important to take a few moments to conduct a general inspection of the whole oral cavity before directing one's attention to a single tooth, although the patient could point exactly to a particular tooth that is causing the pain. General understanding of the patient's oral health status often has a great impact on decision making regarding the possible treatment of the acute problem.