New patients and those who haven't been in for three years or more will undergo a comprehensive exam by the doctor. This thorough examination will usually take approximately one hour. (Note: If your visit is the result of a dental emergency, we will address that problem first. Your subsequent visit would then involve this exam.)
This comprehensive look at your oral health gives us a baseline by which we can make future measurements and comparisons. Basically, it gives us a crystal clear picture of your oral health today, and provides a road map for where you're going.
Modern dentistry offers so many opportunities to enhance your health, comfort and appearance; this evaluation reveals which treatments would benefit you and include the following:
- Review of your medical and dental history.
- Discussion time to address your concerns, current problems, your desires for future health and expectations of us in caring for those problems.
- A thorough oral cancer screening.
- A detailed tooth examination is performed checking for decay, cracks, fractures, wear and failed dentistry.
- Periodontal (or gum and bone tissue) examined: measuring gum crevices at six points on every tooth to check for hidden gum disease.
- Evaluation of the condition of the existing gum tissue.
- Measuring all teeth for any looseness, another sign of problems.
- Assessing existing restorations (fillings/crowns/bridge work, etc.).
- Providing an objective evaluation of your effectiveness in plaque removal and disease control.
- Evaluating your individual susceptibility to gum disease.
- Providing detailed instruction to help you immediately improve your gum health.
- Temporomandibular Joint Orthopedic and Bite Analysis: Palpation (pressing with finger tips) of the jaw joints to check for inflammation.
- Range of motion tests to check the health of jaw movements.
- Examining all teeth to evaluate if they touch equally.
- Examining all teeth to evaluate how the jaw moves in all directions and if the teeth properly guide.
- Radiographs (X-rays) are taken to show decay, infection and bone condition.
- A panoramic radiograph, if indicated, showing the entire upper and lower jaw and jaw joints, sinuses and many other important structures.
- Photographs are taken of problem areas so you can see what the doctor sees.