How to bring a health timeline to your doctor

Your doctor has a short visit and a chart. You have the whole story. A timeline moves the story from your memory onto one page.

What goes on it

Keep it short and in your own words. Six prompts are enough to start:

  • Your last dental procedure, and what it was.
  • Any symptom that started in the weeks after.
  • Sensitive teeth or sore gums.
  • Bleeding when you brush.
  • How many of your own teeth you have kept and how many you have lost.
  • Your fillings: how many, how old, and what material, if you know.

How to hand it over

Print it or save it as a PDF and give it to the clinician at check in. You can also copy it as text, or send a private link. The link holds your answers inside the link itself, so anyone you send it to can read them. Send it only to your doctor.

What to say when you hand it over

Say: "Please include my mouth in my care." It is a timeline of your own answers, not a diagnosis, and it does not replace an exam. Skip anything you do not know. A blank answer is fine, and please do not type names, birth dates, or ID numbers.

Frequently asked

What is a health timeline?

A health timeline is a one page, dated list of what happened in your body and mouth and when, brought to an appointment so the clinician can see the sequence. It records your own answers and is not a diagnosis.

Is my timeline stored anywhere?

No. The timeline tool keeps your answers on your device, does not save them, and uses no tracking. Close the tab and they are gone, unless you print, save, or share your timeline.

What should I leave off my timeline?

Leave off names, birth dates, and ID numbers. They are not needed, and the page is not built to protect them.

Can I share it with someone other than my doctor?

You can, but the private link holds your answers inside the link, so anyone who has the link can read them. Share it only with people you trust with that information.

Make your timeline today.

Six short questions. One page you can print, save, or send. Your answers stay on your device.

Make my timeline

Related: Questions to ask before you accept a dental treatment plan ยท How to get a second opinion on a dental treatment plan

This page is general information, not medical or dental advice, and not a diagnosis. Outcomes are never guaranteed. Talk with your own clinician about your own care.