New Patient Exam: Primary Dental Care

A new patient exam at Primary Dental Care in Garden Grove involves various procedures. Our staff, dental assistants, and dentists want and need to know about your general health, dental health, and your diet and other aspects of your life, such as if you smoke, in order to evaluate and monitor your dental health. Understanding a range of information about you is an important part of our new patient exam.

 

Patient History and Insurance Information

When you initially come into our offices, the first part of your new patient exam involves giving Primary Dental Care some basic information. We’ll have you fill out a questionnaire that will help us contact you and your physician. You’ll be asked a variety of questions, including when you last went to the dentist, how much you sleep, if you are a smoker and, if so, how much you smoke, if you consume alcohol, an if you do how often and how much, your eating habits, and other such information that may affect your general and dental health.

We’ll also request that you to give us your medical history, as knowing this can be very important when treating you. Included in this history is the listing of any medication you may presently be taking and the dosages. This is very important as certain medications may cause an adverse reaction if you must in some way be medicated before, during, or after a procedure. Also, we’ll request your insurance and payment information.

Once you are finished filling out our patient information form, you’ll return it to a Primary Dental Care reception staff member, and we’ll make copies of your health insurance cards. As you go onto the next step of your new patient exam, we’ll be creating your patient profile in our computer, which will allow us to properly track your dental health.

Your Exam

A new patient exam includes various steps, each of which is important in determining how good your dental health is. You’ll meet your dentist for a moment and your dental hygienist. The hygienist will first check your teeth, gums, tongue, and mouth visually, probing the area with implements and charting any fillings or other dental work you have had done previously, and, also marking any possible problem areas.

X-rays will also be taken at this time, as these can reveal problems that are developing that the naked eye cannot catch. Some patients who are new decline to have x-rays taken. That is your option, as long as you understand that Primary Dental Care will not be able to fully evaluate your dental health without a set of x-rays.

Cleaning

An important step in your new patient exam at Primary Dental Care in Garden Grove is your cleaning. Again, as it is with x-rays, some patients decline to have a cleaning done, as they feel the point of their examination is to determine the present status of their dental health. However, at Primary Dental Care, we encourage all of our new patients to undergo a full cleaning, as this is an initial step towards sound dental health.

A cleaning includes three specific phases. These are:

• The removal of tartar, which utilizes dental implements and a tool that uses pressurized water.
• Further cleaning with a high-powered brushing implement and concentrated tooth cleanser.
• During the final step, the application of fluoride to your teeth.

Dentist’s Exam and Consultation

During the final step in your new patient exam at Primary Dental Care, your dentist will review all aspects of your exam up to this point, including your charting, x-rays, and any observations made by the dental hygienist. The dentist will carefully check your mouth, gums, teeth, and tongue carefully, paying special attention to any problem areas noticed during the earlier part of the exam.

Your dentist will then conclude your new patient exam by discussing your general and specific dental health, making recommendations for treatments, discussing when such treatments should be undertaken, and detailing what daily actions you should undertake to help ensure future dental health. This includes daily brushing, flossing, and the use of an antibacterial mouthwash.

Your Next Appointment

When you are at the Primary Dental Care in Garden Grove, the final step in your new patient exam will be making your next appointment, as those who follow a six-month exam schedule tend to enjoy much better dental health than those who randomly see a dentist when they think about it or feel they may have a problem. When we provide someone with a new patient exam at Primary Dental Care we want to make sure that you leave in sound dental health, and that you plan on maintaining that health in the future.

Contact Primary Dental Care if you require a professional, experienced, and courteous Dentist. We can be reached at 714-537-5700.