First-Time Patient?

What to expect from your initial visit.

FIRST, LETS TALK ABOUT YOU:
We’ll start with a chat about you and your previous dental hygiene experience, your worries, complaints, fears and expectations, I’ll ask about your Medical History (medications, allergies, etc.) and your current, daily oral hygiene routine (eg. which toothbrush and toothpaste you use, if you use any mouthwashes , interproximal dental hygiene aids, etc.)

NOW MY TURN:
I will start with an Oral Hygiene Examination which includes, Extra-oral and IntraOral Soft tissue Examination (which consists of checking for any abnormalities around/inside your mouth and on the rare occassion that we see something we think may require attention , you will get an immediate second opinion and then referred to a specialist if necessary). I then do a BPE (Basic Periodontal Examination), which is to check the condition of your gums. You will hear me calling out numbers to my nurse, relating to your gum health and this is done on a scale of 0 to 4 (the higher the number, the more work we have to do I’m afraid!)

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW
For anxious/nervous/sensitive patients, before scale and polish treatment starts, on request, we can provide PRE-TREATMENT topical anesthesia, in the form of gel or mouthwash (numbness lasts around 30 min). If you require a little more numbness to be comfortable, we can use a prescribed local anesthetic (numbness lasts 2/3 hours), which can usually be prescribed on the day but may require rescheduling the appointment in some cases.

FINALLY:
The treatment you have been waiting for, “scale and polish”, incuding personalised Oral Hygiene instructions if necessary and some handy leaflets for you to take home.