Introduction: Epilepsy Imagine having a patient coming in to see you for the first time ever. As accustomed, you are required to ask the patient about their medical history, hoping that upon reviewing their history they don’t present with anything grave. Now imagine that the patient first addresses that they are diagnosed with epilepsy, do you feel that sense of slight anxiety, wondering if they could have one at any of your appointments. Believe me when I say that I was definitely feeling that way, unsure if I was completely prepared if one was to occur. Patients who suffer from epilepsy require a handful of precautionary measures to be considered from their hygienist. There is a handful of information to be known when having this condition …show more content…
This patient was of older age that gets overwhelmed easily and keeping my patient at ease is my main concern. This patient of mine has also asked me of how would I handle the situation if during the appointment the sense of a seizure would arise. I want to be able to give my best response at the next recall and have that trust from my patient. For these reasons I wanted to look further into this topic and my choice in choosing Epilepsy. Condition and Etiology of Epilepsy Epilepsy is a common neurological condition where patients have seizures in the brain, according to Epilepsy Society. Not everyone that has a seizure is considered epileptic, it is “usually only diagnosed after a person has had more than one seizure” (Epilepsy Society). Epilepsy has many possible causes; the underlying cause for people with epilepsy vary amongst each other. The cause of epilepsy can develop “as the result of brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, infections of the brain, and birth defects” or an unknown cause (Wikipedia). Physical and Oral …show more content…
This includes from the beginning of the appointment to and/if a seizure was to occur during the appointment. During the initial meeting the clinician should be aware of when the last episode occurred, if the patient is feeling well at the appointment, and if there has been any changes concerning their medications. If an epileptic seizure was to occur the following precautions should be done according to the article “Understanding the Patient with Epilepsy and Seizures in the Dental