Let me walk you through this….

Once you arrive at the dental office you’ll check in at the front desk, sit in the waiting room………..then doctor will take Xrays….etc etc (add an overview here)

When you are ready for a complete dental exam:

• Ask your dentist about the general condition of your mouth. It is important to know if your teeth, and the bone that supports them, are in pretty good shape, which means that you can expect long-term satisfaction from the treatment, or, perhaps your work will last only a short time due to bone loss and extensive decay.

• Ask what will happen if the work fails. You need to know the guarantee for redoing fillings, bridges, and dentures

  and you need to know the implications when there is a failure of the work…and it cannot be redone.

If your first visit to the dentist is for an emergency, then one or two x-rays will be sufficient. It is important, however, that after the emergency has been taken care of, a complete exam must follow and be accompanied by a full set of x-rays (often 14-16 separate pictures). This ‘full set’ of x-rays is important, both for your dental health, and for your general health. At this visit, the dentist will check for deep tooth decay, gum infection, and potentially cancerous growths in the gums and bone.

Problems develop quickly in the mouth. If it has been three to five years since your last complete set of x-rays, or even a year since your last limited checkup, then it is time to schedule an appointment. After an emergency is taken care of, patients often think that nothing more needs to be done except a cleaning, but are surprised from the exam and x-rays to learn about hidden cavities and infections.

The Truth: Nothing lasts forever in dentistry

Fillings can break, crowns can fall out, teeth can crack, dentures, bridges and implants can (and do) fail. It is important to know if your teeth, and the bone that supports them, are in pretty good shape, which means that you can expect long-term satisfaction from the treatment, or, perhaps your work will last only a short time due to bone loss and extensive decay.

A dentist is a licensed professional who is mindful of your health. When it is time for a check-up, just do it!