Full Dental Evaluation

The first part of assessing a patient needs is to take a full history, both medical and dental. Medical to ascertain if a patient is taking any medications or has any medical conditions which may require us to take specific precautions. Dental to ascertain the type of dental experiences a patient may have had in the past and preferences a patient may have which will inform any proposed treatment plans.

The next item to evaluate is why the patient presented for treatment in the first place so that we may address the issues that are most pertinent to our patients.

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Once this has been established, we start our clinical examination which includes an evaluation of the TMJ (jaw joint), soft tissues lining the mouth and of course the gums and teeth. We are looking for signs of all oral diseases including infections, oral cancer, periodontal disease and tooth decay.

We are also evaluating our patients bite or occlusion. In our younger patients monitoring the development of the dentition, to the alignment of the teeth and in our more mature patients, we are also evaluating tooth alignment and wear on the teeth due to tooth position or tooth loss over the years.

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At this point we will take x rays where indicated and depending on the complexity of the case photographs and impressions for study casts where required. 

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Once we have our records we can interpret these and discuss our findings and plan our treatment accordingly.  Treatment planning may be a simple as a trip to the hygienist, to more complex restorations, to orthodontic treatment with Invisalign, to a full mouth rehabilitation including periodontal treatment and complex restorations up to and including implants. 

Because careful planning is probably the most important aspect to the provision of quality care we will if required, in more complex cases, sit down with a patients records and prepare a range of costed treatment options from which our patients can choose. We can then schedule a second and subsequent appointments if required to finalise a plan that our patients are comfortable with before we proceed.