First Visit
Initial Dentist Consultation
You can expect your first visit to be very different and much more comprehensive than you have experienced in other dental offices.
Dr. Paul Peterson feels that one of the most important visits to our office will be this first appointment. This is your opportunity to express your individual concerns about the health of your teeth, talk about any cosmetic considerations and even specific areas that you are anxious about. If you have had a bad experience and there are aspects of dentistry that have affected your dental health, please let us know. If there is anything we can do to make you more comfortable in our office we want to be able to provide that. We set aside an hour of Dr. Peterson’s time for this appointment.
At that initial visit you can expect us to:
- Do an oral cancer screening exam
- Take blood pressure
- Take full mouth digital photographs
- Evaluate the bite
- Check the TMJ
- Ask sleep apnea screening questions
- Evaluate the health of the gums surrounding the teeth
- Evaluate shade and cosmetics of the teeth
- Take full mouth digital x-rays
Some patients prefer to schedule a teeth cleaning on that first appointment and we try to accommodate if possible, although it is not always ideal. One of the most important things to look at is whether the gums are healthy. The hygienist will do an in depth analysis of the health of the gums. That will include checking for any pocketing that is forming in the gums around the teeth and evaluate the overall health of the gums. If it is necessary to pursue additional periodontal treatments, she will discuss that with you.
This appointment may vary if you are coming for a specific concern, such as cosmetic consultation, TMJ or Sleep Apnea. In that instance we will only be addressing that one area and a comprehensive exam might need to be done at a later appointment.
We should be ready to see you as soon as you arrive. With that in mind you might want to arrive a few minutes early to fill out forms or do them online before your appointment.
Important information to review before your first visit:
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