Suggestions On Ways to Choose a Dental Office

The exam for first-time patients should take from an hour to an hour and a half and should include a tooth-by-tooth cavity check, a gum disease screening, a test to measure the health of your jaw joint and the stability of your bite, an oral cancer screening and any necessary radiographs to check not only for cavities but also for the condition of the supporting bone structure.

The doctor needs to spend a good deal of time with you at this first visit in order to perform each of these screening examinations thoroughly. For example, in the periodontal examination, the dentist uses a periodontal probe to measure the depth of your periodontal pockets – he or she is checking for gum disease which can lead to bone loss and subsequent tooth loss.

The infection control procedures should meet or exceed those mandated by CDC, OSHA, and the State Dental Board. Every dental practice knows about these standards of care. If the one you choose is not following them, you need to know why.

If at any time we can be of service to you, please don’t hesitate to contact us – even if it’s just to answer a question or to help you evaluate your dental coverage.