Asking the patient to open their mouth wide and then, put their head back as far as possible, is a good minimum.
This allows assessment of the following:
- Inter-incisor distance
- Mallampati Class
- Range of movement of the upper cervical spine
- Thyromental distance
With experience, it is easy to recognize ‘normality’. When abnormality is seen, this should prompt more formal examination.
Patients who are Mallampati Class 1 are only very rarely difficult laryngoscopies.
Fig 1 Range of head movement and inter-incisor distance (inset)