New patients to our practice usually come in for 3 reasons:

1. Full Mouth Examination – They haven’t been to a dentist in a while and want to check the general condition of their mouth, teeth and gums.
2. Consultation & Treatment – They are aware of a specific problem and would like to consult us on what treatments are available (e.g. teeth whitening, fillings, mouthguard etc).
3. Emergencies – The patient is usually experiencing pain or has had an injury that requires immediate attention.

 

1. Full Mouth Examination

Full Mouth Examinations are recommended for people who haven’t seen a dentist in a long time and for people who are concerned about the condition of their mouth, teeth and gums. It is also often recommended for people with specific problems (e.g. replacing missing teeth), as most often the solution to the problem may be dependent on the condition of the surrounding teeth and mouth.

Our Full Mouth Examinations appointments are 45-60 minutes long as we do not believe in rushing through appointments. By setting aside this time for you, we can take our time to fully examine and discuss your oral health with you.

This appointment will consist of a full and thorough examination and evaluation of your oral health, including:

1. an assessment of your medical and lifestyle risk from your completed new patient registration and history
2. examination of your jaw muscles and joints
3. examination of your cheeks, tongue, lips and gums for signs of oral cancer
4. examination of your teeth, assessment of their integrity, existing restorations, signs of decay (caries), tooth wear
5. assessment of the overall appearance and colour of your teeth
6. assessment of your gum health and of the appearance of your gums
7. taking X-ray images to ensure there are no hidden surprises**
8. review of any previous X-ray images (bring them along to your appointment if you have any!)
9. diagnostic photographs
10. impressions for diagnostic models if needed
11. discussion of recommended treatment and follow up care (treatment plan)
** Whilst we are able to see the visible surfaces of the teeth during the examination, we are not able to examine the surfaces in between your teeth or the roots inside the jaw. We therefore sometimes require radiographs to be taken during the Full Mouth Examination appointment in order to do a complete exam.

2. Consultation & Treatment

If you have a specific problem or issue and you would like to discuss your treatment options with us, you will be booked in for a 30 minute Consultation appointment. At this appointment, we will discuss your concerns with you, examine the area and provide you with some treatment options. If time permits and the issue is straightforward, we may be able to commence treatment at that first appointment.

 

3. Emergencies Appointments

If you are experiencing an emergency or have a specific problem and would like it looked at, you will be booked in for a 30 minute Consultation appointment. At this appointment, we will discuss what the issue is, identify the problem and establish the cause of the problem. This may involve doing tests on teeth such as a percussion test, pulp (nerve) response test and examining the teeth with radiographs.

Once we establish the cause, we will do our best in the given time we have to resolve the issue so that the situation is stable. Our priority at this stage is to resolve any pain or discomfort you may be experiencing.

This may sometimes mean that we have to perform a provisional fix and you may be required to come back for another visit to fully resolve the problem. In some situations if the problem is more complex, you may also need to come back for a Full Mouth Examination and treatment plan in order to decide what is the best way for you to resolve the problem definitively.

 

We advise all new patients to arrive 10 minutes prior to their appointment time to allow for sufficient time to fill out our New Patient Form.

 

We love welcoming new patients. To make an appointment please contact us on 07 3902 1023.