Oral-Systemic Thermography

1.1 The laboratory’s medical director should ensure that the patient is explained the necessity for performing Dental-Oral and Systemic Health Infrared Dental/Systemic Health Imaging. 1.2 The laboratory’s medical director should ensure that any patient questions and concerns about any aspect of the examination are responded to. 1.3 The laboratory’s medical director should ensure that the patient is advised about risk factors and symptoms of vasomotor instability and associated pathophysiology and obtain informed consent either written or orally from the patient to proceed with Dental-Oral and Systemic Health Infrared Dental/Systemic Health Imaging. 1.4 The laboratory’s medical director should ensure that specific diagnostic, treatment or prognosis questions are referred to the patient’s physician.

1.5 Patient should not have contact with any object if that body part is being imaged. No clothing or garments should be worn over any region that is under study.
1.6 The patient should shower or bathe the morning of the test to ensure that the skin is as clean as possible. The patient should avoid hot water exposure to the skin and the use of a hair dryer for at least two hours prior to the test.
1.7 The patient should avoid placing any material of any kind on the skin, such as any skin lotions, sun screens, deodorants, preparations, moisturizers, liniments, makeup, hair spray, hair cream, topical analgesics, etc. the day of the exam.
1.8 Nicotine and caffeine products should be discontinued by the patient 4 hours prior to imaging. For Evaluations of the face and neck mouth washes and breath mints should be discontinued for 2 hours prior to imaging.
1.9 For intraoral assessments the patient should remove dentures or other devices that may preclude direct visualization of the buccal cavity, and avoid drinking liquids other than room temperature water, for 1 hour prior to imaging.
1.10 The patient should ear loose clothing to the test; avoid anything binding against the skin; avoid support undergarments or pantyhose. They should not wear jewelry, preferably including rings if the hands are to be examined (exceptions are made for rings which cannot be removed or jewelry which the patient chooses not to remove for personal reasons). Hearing aids or eyeglasses should not be worn during facial examinations.
1.11 To the extent possible discontinue the use of appliances such as braces, neoprene wraps, Ace bandages, hair bands, etc. on the day of testing.
1.12 When the regions of interest include the face or hands prolonged contact with a cell phone should be avoided by the patient for at least 2 hours prior to testing.
1.13 When the region of interest includes the face the patient should avoid chewing for at least 2 hours prior to the test.
1.14 The patient should avoid massage, skeletal manipulation, acupuncture, restorative therapy, dry needling, moxibustion, saunas, extended sun exposure, TENS or electric muscle stimulation, laser therapy, or ozone therapy 24 hours prior to imaging. Electrodiagnostic testing should be avoided for 24 hours prior to imaging.
1.15 Whenever possible steroids, sympathetic blockers, vasoactive medications, opiates and transdermal patches should be avoided for 24 hours prior to testing (12-16 hours minimum). Exceptions should always be recorded in the record.
1.16 When Cold Stress examinations are being performed, medications that are not medically necessary and that alter sympathetic function should be avoided for at least 24 hours prior to testing.
1.17 In the absence of extenuating circumstances, for original diagnostic studies sympathetic and neurolytic blocks should be avoided for 3 days prior to testing.
1.18 Peripheral nerve implants and spinal cord/dorsal column stimulators should be turned off 4 hours prior to testing.