Rapid neurologic assessment and initial management for the patient with traumatic dental injuries

The authors believe that a dental practitioner can be adept at observing insidious signs of neurologic impairment secondary to trauma of the head and neck. If approached logically in a systematic order, the course of neurologic assessment of a patient with traumatic dental injuries can be achieved in a short time. If neurologic damage is suspected, immediate medical referral is indicated, as impending neuropathologic crises of secondary injury may be prevented with definitive early care. Medical personnel will benefit in their diagnostic course from information gathered by the initial provider of health care. The dentist also provides a service to the patient by ruling out definite signs of neurologic deficit before directing complete attention to emergency dental procedures.