Are you sometimes challenged by the medically compromised patients who present for treatment in your office? Are you frequently overwhelmed by the vast amount of medical knowledge you feel you must keep up with? Do you shake your head when you see a patient with a list of medications as long as your arm? Are you sometimes confused by which medical problems are important and which are not? Well, if so, you are not alone. In this course we attempt to break down the taking of medical history to a practical and simple process applicable to the day to day needs of the general dentist. We discuss a methodology for analyzing the medical status of the patient and how to mentally process the information you gather in a timely manner, giving you information that is relevant to the dentistry you are planning. Since the medical status of the patient is an indicator of possible medical emergencies, we make the natural transition from discussing the medical issue to the types of emergencies that patients with that condition are likely to have.