What to Expect With Your First Office Visit.

Ok, so you finally convinced yourself to call and make an appointment. Yay ! Congrats. We are excited and looking forward to meeting you : )
So today I will explain in general what to expect on your first visit. I will be speaking mainly from the ideal private practice dentist office first.
After you have made your appointment, they may ask you some questions over the phone; or they may wait until you come in, on the day of. Either way, they will ask. And you will have papers to fill out.Be prepared. This is mandatory for every new patient(it's the law). Even previous patients will be asked to update their information at least every two years. And even if you tell us it is the same you still have to check every box. So some of the questions they may ask over the phone, besides your name and number are:

1. Do you have insurance? (this is a courtesy that the dental office bills your insurance, technically you are responsible for billing your own insurance. ) If you have insurance and would like them to handle the billing they will ask you for your insurance information, which may include the employer, and employer number, your SSN, and anyone else who is covered under the plan.


2. They might ask for an address to send you your paperwork to fill out so you can bring it with you on the day of your appointment. ( This means less waiting. I recommend you do this. Also,it doesn't hurt to ask them to send it by mail, if they do not offer.)



3. They may also ask about pre-existing medical conditions as well. Such as , have you had any heart problems, surgeries or joint replacements with in the last six months or ever needed to take antibiotics before dental treatment. ( this is important. Be honest b/c if you have any of the above, we cannot treat you for any dental work without a medical release from your doctor or premed, and you will be sent home. You wouldn't want to take off work and not be treated, what a waste! ) Our number one priority is your health and we do not want to cause any damage to what has already been done or trying to heal.
   
4. If you have any concerns about a medical condition they can contact your doctor and get a faxed medical release, easy as pie: )

Next you hang up the phone. And before you know it, the day of your appointment has arrived.

You will see the doctor first (the state of CA requires all new patients to see the doctor first, but often the doctor and sometimes patients"because all they want is a cleaning", pressures the hygienist to see new patients this is not good quality of care). Why? you may ask. The doctor needs to do a thorough comprehensive exam with x-rays to make sure he is not neglecting an issue that could have been prevented. Also, believe it or not, but the hygienist needs current x-rays to do a quality cleaning. And yes, you may have something wrong and not even feel it.We use them to examine bone level, radiographic calculus(heavy hardened tartar/plaque),decay among other things...He willl lso review your health history to make sure there is nothing you have forgotten to list (think of it like an editor). So the appointment will go as followed:

1.x-rays(by dentist,assistant or hygienist) 2. comprehensive exam (by dentist) 3. diagnosis of type of cleaning (dentist and/or hygienist) 4. treatment plan 5. bring back for treatment and/ or cleaning.

1. You will receive a complete series of x-rays this is usually about 18 single radiographs(sometime 20) aka x-rays or PA'S. This set is also called a FMX or FMS (full mouth series/x-rays). This allows us to see below the gum line, the roots of the teeth ,between the teeth, bone level, calculus(hardened tarter, above and below the gum line) ,decay, abscesses and many other things. Thankfully, technology gets better and better and the radiation from the dental x-rays is so small, you actually get more radiation being in the sun or watching TV than in the dental chair. (now MRI's and CT scans are a different story, try and limit those)

Did you know that x-rays are not just to check for cavities, but is also used to catch early developments of cancer, tumor growths, cysts, anomalies, sinus problems,gum disease, etc. So those yearly "check up" x-rays that we take, help us to screen for more than just decay :) and it's only 6 instead of 18.

2. After the x-rays are taken you will then be seen by the dentist who will want to document the work (fillings, crowns, implants...)you have already had done in the past and then check to see if there are any suspicious areas. i.e. decay. This also helps the hygienist when she is doing the cleaning... He/She will also assess your gums, or may call in the hygienist at this time to diagnose what type of cleaning you will need. The hygienist may also perform an oral cancer exam if the doctor hasn't done one already (this is very simple and quick, kind of like a massage for the face ). The hygienist will then do a comprehensive exam for the foundation of your teeth; meaning your gums and bone. This is important because this is what holds your teeth in. Depending on the type of cleaning, you most likely will come back for another appointment to do the cleaning. It is not uncommon, to not get a cleaning on the first visit. The hygienist/dentist or assistant may also take your blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for records. This is important if we need to anesthetize (numb you up) for any treatment, because anesthesia can affect a patients blood pressure not to mention it being added upon by the anxiety of already being in the office. As dental professionals, the American Heart Association has set certain standards to follow regarding dental treatment and dental treatment with anesthetics. It is recommended we do this in the interest of the patients health and to monitor and refer since high blood pressure is the "Silent Killer". A quality dental office will always do a comprehensive exam to understand where there patient is coming from. (I have a couple of stories on this maybe I will do a story time blog)

3. They will then write up the treatment plan . Sometimes they will give you a couple options. Meaning they will give you the best option that they would recommend doing. But then will list other options which are available, such as: wait and see, or just do patch work ,or the non- esthetic option, or unfortunately, there may only be one option .(cue sound effect) wa, wa, wa... it just depends on your case.

Then your on your way :) see you at the cleaning appointment :)

Now if you are going to the dentist for an emergency toothache it will be different. Most likely, you will still need to fill out paper work but they will only address the matter at hand in that appointment and and bring you back to address the comprehensive exam and cleaning.

Like I said, this is based upon an ideal private practice, one whose interests are in the quality care of the patient. Many corporate and groups run it a bit different, not all but many.Some will switch the order of things but will still get all the important things done and cared for.

I prefer the above because it is not ran like a conveyor belt. Instead, I prefer more one on one with the patients and really getting to the root of the problem instead of the band-aid approach. Working with the doctor to help you maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy body.

tip: the hygienist has one hour, usually.So if your on time she can stay on time, but if you're late you either throw the day off for the rest of the patients or you are paying for a full cleaning appointment but only getting a 20 or 30 minute cleaning, not smart. just be respectfull and be punctual:)