Unless an emergency is the reason for your first visit the following describes your exam appointment with our hygienists.

      We believe that your initial exam is so important that we spend an entire hour on it (in addition to your cleaning).  Many patients tell us that our initial dental exam is the most thorough they have ever had. 

• We begin with a health history review to learn of your health in its entirety, not just your mouth.
• We have a number of different types of x-rays to chose from:
  
  • Panoramic--to view your jaw, TMJ, sinuses, teeth roots or to discover any growths
  • Bitewings--to reveal any decay between your teeth
  • Cone beam--gives a three dimensional view of your bone and nerve canals
• We document all your existing dental work tooth by tooth, inspecting your teeth for any fractures, wear or any other condition that needs to be addressed.
• Our hygienists do periodontal charting to determine whether or not you have periodontal disease and what kind of cleaning is required to address it
• We then examine every surface of your mouth (lips, palate, tongue, etc.) to find any abnormalities and to establish a baseline to track any significant changes.
• Intra-oral pictures are also taken for a baseline record.
• The oral cancer exam is performed in three parts:
  • The visual exam as mentioned earlier
  • By palpation (including your lymph nodes)
  • VELscope technology--a type of fluorescent light that reveals subsurface abnormalities
• The doctor then determines what treatment you may need using this information for a complete picture.    

    Then we inform you of any significant findings and recommendations and work with you to plan a course of treatment.

     Last but not least, we like to spend this appointment getting to know you as an individual.  We want to know your preferences and anything we can do to make your visit with us comfortable.  We'd love to hear about your families, pets, hobbies, etc.  And if you don't want any chatting we want to know that too. 

Welcome!