Examination
The dental examination is actually much more complex than it would often appear. The health of the mouth can give a good insight into a patient’s general health- so it’s not just the teeth and gums that are being examined. Oral cancer checking is essential given that this is a disease that is becoming more prevalent in the population.
New patients
Adult new patient examinations are given 30 minutes and can be booked over the telephone or online. You will be requested to complete a medical history in advance either online or in the waiting room prior to the appointment- please bring with you a current list of any medications taken. There is also a short pre-examination questionnaire to complete which gives you the opportunity to flag up any particular concerns or specific needs that you would like the dentist to address
Your dentist will have extended time to review your medical and dental history, take routine x rays and conduct a thorough 10-point oral and extra-oral examination. There will be time to discuss your individual concerns, needs and requirements while feeding back to you on results from the x rays and tooth and gum charting. A recommendation will be made on the likely recall interval needed both for dental periodic examination and possible need for hygienist services
A written treatment plan with available options and alternatives can then be formulated and either given to you on the day or sent to you soon afterwards with any links to information relating to treatment required. This plan will include any associated fees
[Link to pre-examination smile questionnaire]
[Link to 10-point examination pdf]
Routine examinations
These appointments will normally be conducted over 20 minutes with routine x-rays repeated very 2 years or so. Gum health is constantly reviewed and the need for hygienist help reassessed
Children
As a general rule examinations for children are scheduled to take half the time as for adult patients and will be appointed on this basis. Recall varies from 3-12 months depending on individual need and stage of tooth development. It is often preferred that families are all treated by the same dentist to give better continuity of care.
