What happens on my first visit?

Unless there is some immediate concern or urgency, the first visit at our office involves

1. A very thorough comprehensive examination of your entire masticatory (chewing) system that lasts at least an hour. Therefore a cleaning is not done at this appointment.
2. A review your dental and medical history before the oral examination.
3. Once this information is documented we will perform a through oral examination.
4. An oral cancer exam.
5. An examination of your gums for evidence of periodontal disease.
6. An examination of your teeth.
7. Any necessary x-rays to detect pathology or decay that can’t be seen visual will be taken. See Digital Radiographs.
8. A bite analysis.
9. We check your jaw joints for any abnormalities or signs of TMJ problems.
10. Using an intra- oral camera we will point out any evidence of problem or disease in your teeth or gums.
11. An explanation of the findings and the best way to begin treatment.

This is without question the most important series of appointments you and your dentist will have. Many of the disappointments individuals have with dentistry can be traced back to an incomplete evaluation and diagnosis.

Special Privacy Information

TO MAKE YOUR FIRST VISIT AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE, PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

PARTS OF THE NEW PATIENT EXAM IN DETAIL

Dental Health Interview
We listen to you, and to what you have to say. We want to know your past problems, past dental experiences, past treatments, concerns and expectations. What you tell us may help determine why certain problems may be occurring. We also need to know what you think about your smile. Most of all, we want to know how we can make your experience with us the best dental experience that you and your family have ever had.

Comprehensive Medical History- are taken

Digital Camera Pictures- are taken

Soft tissue exam (oral cancer screening)
Dr. Guy examines your cheeks, roof of the mouth, throat, tongue, floor of the mouth, and your lips. He looks for any problems that you may have including ulcers, oral cancer, cysts, benign tumours, or oral signs of cancer from other parts of the body.

Examination of the teeth
We examine your teeth and existing restorations for stains, chips, cracks, cavities, malformations, excessive wear and mobility.

Periodontal Screening and Recording
The PSR is a routine part of every oral examination for people 18 and older. It is a simple test specially designed for early detection of periodontal disease. This is important because periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults. And early detection means early treatment for healthier gums.

Your mouth will be examined in six sections with a special instrument. The instrument has a rounded tip that is gently moved around your gumline. Each section will be coded according to the PSR scoring system, featuring numerical scores 0 through 4.

PSR tells us how healthy your gums are and whether or not you need a full periodontal assessment. For example if all of your scores are 0 through 2: additional examination is not required. However we may recommend some treatment for specific conditions. If you score 3 or 4 in any sextant: a more detailed periodontal examination is necessary. Based on this exam, we will recommend the appropriate treatment for you.

Comprehensive X-ray Examination
We take necessary digital dental radiographs of all teeth and supporting structures of the jaws. If you have had recent x-rays performed, we may only have to take few cavity detection x-rays. With the aid of these x-rays we will be able to determine:

• Decay
• Gum Disease (Periodontal Disease)
• Other bony abnormalities

Jaw-Joint and Muscle Examination
This examination determines if the jaw joints and muscles are healthy and functioning properly and includes physical tests on the TMJ such as:

• alpation (pressing various areas),
• Auscultation (listening while the jaw moves),
• Range of motion tests, and
• Loading or joint compression tests (using a gentle technique called "Bilateral mandibular manipulation").
• Palpation of the muscles of the head and neck area to determine if they may be a source of pain

Evaluation of your bite
This examination determines how the upper and lower teeth function (or malfunction) in relation to one another. If there are significant problems we will take impressions (moulds of your teeth). The moulds are then attached to an articulator (jaw simulator) for further evaluation.
This helps us to determine:

• Proper and/or improper alignment of the teeth and jaws
• Premature contacts on teeth that can cause fractured teeth or headaches
• Proper relationship of your teeth to the rest of your head
• Excessive wear patterns on teeth

Personalized Treatment Plan
After the all the necessary information has been gathered we construct an ideal treatment plan that will correct your problems and prevent future ones.

Consultation
A comprehensive exam is not complete until we have a consultation. This no charge appointment is where we:

• Explain our findings
• Present the treatment plan that represents the best treatment available.
• We explain the consequences of not having treatment.
• We discuss the alternatives available for treatment.
• We discuss the cause of gum disease, dental decay and bite problems. We discuss preventive measures that can improve your dental health
• Develop a financial plan that is comfortable for you

At this point these is nothing preventing your from beginning your first step in taking great dental care of yourself.s