An examination appointment is not only about checking your gums and teeth: we are here to listen to your concerns to enable you to achieve a well-functioning mouth with a beautiful smile.
If you are nervous about visiting the dentist, we have plenty of experience in treating nervous and phobic patients. We will always take the time to listen to your concerns and discuss various treatment options. We aim to move at a comfortable pace for you, and never push you further or faster than you want.
When you attend our clinic we will ask you to fill out a medical history sheet that will tell us about your general health. Your general health conditions can have an implication on one’s oral health, but also enable us to be fully informed and deliver safe treatment.
Once we have you comfortable on the chair, we will ask you to explain to us what you would like to achieve, whether this is to gain better oral function or for aesthetic reasons. Once we have heard your concern we will carry out the following:
- Visual examination of your teeth in a social interaction, your lip position, your smile line;
- Examination around head and neck to look for any abnormality for early diagnosis;
- Examination of the soft tissues inside the mouth, including the inner surface of cheeks, tongue, palate and back of the throat;
- Examination of teeth, checking any old restorations, crowns, bridges, implant or denture work;
- Examination of your gums, and if any gum disease is noted the severity of gum disease;
- Special investigations which may include radiography, heat and cold testing and other specialised tests as needed.
We then sit down together with you and explain any concerns that we may have following our clinical and special investigation findings. We use drawings, videos and 3D models in order to enable you to understand the condition that needs treatment.
Once you are fully informed, we will discuss the treatment options that are available, as well as the cost and time involved.
We follow national guidelines when we set how often you should come and see us for a check-up. In the past all patients were asked to see a dentist every ‘6 months’; nowadays we tailor your recall appointments to your level of dental risk and need.