Comprehensive care models in dental education encourage students to deliver patient-centered care. But to deliver effective comprehensive care, a clinician must first make a comprehensive diagnosis. Students of general dentistry are taught to make one or more diagnoses as defined by the dental specialties, and to direct patient care accordingly. Without a comprehensive diagnosis, patients may receive fragmented, poorly prioritized care that is inappropriate to their overall oral health. This paper presents a simple diagnostic classification that can be used to make a comprehensive diagnosis with which to guide the student of general dentistry in planning comprehensive care.Dr. Douglass is Clinical Professor,
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