Records

     Making records of a patient could include: radiographs (full mouth series, panorex and/or cephalometric), study models, head and neck exam, and a clinical exam (including charting of decayed, missing, and filled teeth, and prosthetics; malpositioned wisdom teeth, full periodontal charting and occlusal analysis, including potential orthodontic needs).

     If a patient presents for a first visit seeking a check-up, then a set of x-rays (not "radiographs"), head and neck exam and complete clinical exam would be indicated.

     If, however, a patient presents with a broken filling around tooth #14 as their chief complaint then only obtain the records necessary to make a proper diagnosis for this area.

     I believe it is a common mistake among students to be so overly thorough at first that after several visits the patient may still not have their chief complaint, the reason the came in the first place, properly addressed and treated. I am not suggesting to hurriedly treat the patient's chief complaint and miss an important part of a diagnosis either. A master clinician understands the importance of timing in patient care.