While you may have gone to the same dentist all of your life, or perhaps popped around the country moving a few times, we would like to dedicate this post to those wondering what all happens at a new patient exam.
We pride ourselves on being thorough and addressing any concerns you have the first visit. Your new patient visit can be split into three parts:
Pre-filling out paperwork and giving insurance information. When making an appointment you have the chance to fill out your dental and medical history prior to your arrival. We typically run on schedule, so if your appointment is at 9am and you arrive at 9am with a couple pages of questions to fill out, we may be a little behind. This also allows us to review your concerns prior to you visit and be as prepared as possible.
Radiographic and clinical exam. We have a specific x-ray protocol that we follow in alignment with FDA and ADA. It is advised to have a full mouth x-ray every 5 years. If you have a recent full mouth x-ray, please have it sent to your email or keely@masonelitedentistry.com . Most findings on x-rays are not things you may feel or experience. We can detect abscesses of necrotic teeth, cysts, referred malignancies from certain cancers, and overall have every view of your teeth needed to have a full picture of your dental health below the gums. We perform a 6 point periodontal probing to check for any signs of gum disease. This entails a painless measuring of the depth between your gum tissue to where your bone is. This is an important tool to give you a full picture of you gum health. We also take intraoral photographs to go over any cracks, cavities or areas of concern so that you are able to see what's going on in your mouth. If time permits and your gums are healthy, we may perform your dental cleaning the same day. There are times when a patient has extensive tartar buildup or periodontal disease where the time allotted is not enough. We will typically recommend a follow-up to fully accomplish your cleaning.
Review of findings. After your medical/dental histories, radiographs, periodontal chart and intraoral photos are reviewed, Dr. Stewart will do a comprehensive exam and review of findings. At this time she will usually perform this portion in the consultation room to spend time going through all options for care, if needed. It's a great opportunity to bring any questions you have, ask about our practice philosophy and relay your personal preferences to her about your dental care. We appreciate each individual patient and respect their personal views. We will work together to plan your dental treatment that aligns with you views and best long term plan for your dental health.
We would love to have you as a new patient at Mason Elite Dentistry! Give us a call or text at 513-459-1377 to get started!
