You know you should visit your dentist for routine check-ups every six months unless otherwise directed. But sometimes issues arise in your smile that make you pick up your phone and call your dentist before your next appointment.
Whether you have an urgent dental need or want to resolve a long-term oral health concern, do not hesitate to reach out to your dentist. They can arrange for you to visit their office for a consultation to discuss your queries.
You can have a more streamlined experience when you know what will occur during this visit before you arrive at the dentist’s office. Read on to learn what you can expect when you schedule an initial consultation appointment with your dentist.
Oral Health Evaluation
You might call your dentist for a specific oral health question. But once you sit in the dentist’s chair, they will want to examine your teeth and gums first. They can take a look at your smile and spot any potential issues that could cause any of your questionable symptoms.
For instance, a dentist can find a cavity or see gum disease. Then they can provide prompt treatment before addressing larger oral health concerns.
In some cases, these treatments will resolve the issues you brought with you. But some patients want to reconstruct their mouth or accomplish larger smile goals. This approach will allow you to have a healthy foundation with your natural teeth before pursuing enhancement or other dental work.
Personalized Dental Treatment Strategy
With a healthy smile in place, you and your dentist can go over your overall oral health goals. If you want to improve the way that your teeth appear, you can discuss the aesthetic results that you desire.
A lingering oral health problem may have multiple potential treatments that your dentist can pursue. They can describe each procedure thoroughly so that you understand the implications of each option before committing to treatment. The dentist will maintain open communication with you throughout the process so that you remain comfortable in their care.
They will employ a personalized approach to your treatment plan. The dentist considers your unique goals, medical history, and existing dental structure to make sure you find the treatment that will work best for you. They can even illustrate project results of your dental procedure to give you a stronger idea of what to expect.
Scheduling Dental Procedures
With a treatment strategy in place, you will then work with the front office staff to schedule any necessary procedures. Your dentist can give you a firm idea of how many appointments you need and how long each session will take.
For instance, a dentist can treat a cavity within one appointment. You may need two visits for restoring a damaged tooth with a dental crown. The dentist will prepare the tooth and take impressions in one session. Then the patient returns to receive their permanent crown a few weeks later. Tooth replacement with dental implants will also need two or more appointments with several months in between to recover from the anchor placement surgery.