First Visit at Northside Dental
When you call Northside Dental to make an appointment, our front desk coordinator will help you get everything set up for your visit. We'll start by asking what brings you in so we can schedule the right type of appointment. If you're a new patient, you can choose a comprehensive dental exam, which gives us a chance to look at your overall oral health, or a limited exam if you're dealing with a particular concern, such as a toothache or dental emergency.
Once we've determined what kind of visit you need, we'll gather some basic information to get your patient records started. This includes your name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email address. We'll also ask for your dental insurance information, if you have coverage, so we can check your benefits before you arrive. Taking care of these details ahead of time helps make the check-in process easier and gives us more time to focus on your dental care during your appointment.
Comprehensive Oral Exam
When you have decided to become a new patient at our office, you will receive a comprehensive oral exam.
Tooth Charting
charting of any missing teeth, existing restorations, existing conditions, and visual detection of dental decay.
Periodontal Charting
Periodontal charting, also known as gum charting, includes measuring the attachment/bone levels around your teeth in millimeters. Your teeth are attached to your jaw via gums and bone. Periodontal charting is necessary for diagnosing periodontal disease or bone loss.
Dental Radiographs
At our new patient exams, we take full mouth x-rays which allows us to see the root and crown of every tooth in your mouth. Dental radiographs, or X-rays, are necessary for detecting tooth decay that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Photographs
At every new patient visit, you will have a series of photographs taken of your smile. This is necessary to create a baseline of how your smile is presented at your first visit and is necessary to monitor any changes that occur throughout the years. Photographs are also a great tool for patient education, as this is a more detailed way of looking at your smile than just looking in the mirror.
Intra-Oral Scans
Northside Dental is equipped with the latest dental technologies, including an intra-oral scanner. This tool is often used at our new patient exams to take pictures of decayed teeth, broken/cracked restorations, broken/fractured teeth, etc. This tool is a great way to show the patient what dental conditions we have diagnosed and to educate the patient.
Oral Cancer Screening
Every patient receives an oral cancer screening at every comprehensive and periodic exam. This includes screening all the tissues of your mouth to look for any signs of oral cancer or other oral conditions. This includes assessing the gums, inner and outer lips, inside of the cheeks, all surfaces of the tongue, roof of the mouth, and the throat.
Additional Services Upon Request or Interest of Patient
After a comprehensive oral exam, we have some other options available to our patients.
Same Day Dental Cleaning
If you have indicated during scheduling that you want to receive a dental cleaning the same day as your comprehensive oral examination, we will allow time in the schedule for this to occur.
Invisalign Consultation
If you have indicated during scheduling that you are interested in receiving an Invisalign consultation, we will include this service in your comprehensive exam. We will assess your smile, your bite, degree of malocclusion and determine if you are a good candidate to receive Invisalign at our office.
Whitening Consultation
If you have indicated during scheduling that you are interested in receiving a whitening consultation, we will include this service in your comprehensive exam. We will go over our options for whitening at our office and educate you on the process. Together, we will decide which whitening option is best for you.
Cosmetic Smile Consultation
If you're interested in making changes to your smile, let us know when you schedule your appointment. We can include a cosmetic consultation as part of your comprehensive dental exam. During this visit, we'll take photographs of your smile and talk about what you'd like to improve. Whether you're concerned about discoloration, spacing, or the appearance of certain teeth, we'll go over the available treatment options and help you decide which approach makes the most sense for your goals.
