Although dentist offices will each have their own process for handling a dentistry checkup, there will be certain actions that commonly are part of a checkup. Some are only part of your initial appointment, whereas others will occur each and every visit.
- Medical History: On your first dentistry checkup, you will be asked to complete a medical history questionnaire. We will likely ask you to arrive a few minutes before your appointment to complete this. This step is extremely important because there are a number of conditions and medications that we need to know about. Be sure to include all information regardless of how insignificant you may think it is.
- Meet the Dentist: Often on a first appointment you will meet the dentist before anything else is done, but with later visits you may not see the dentist until after the dental hygienist has performed the cleaning and the dental charting.
- Cleaning, Charting and X-Rays: We will often take a full-mouth series of x-rays, especially for a dentistry checkup for new patients and at least once per year after that. This is done to diagnose conditions that are under the surface of the teeth. How long it will take to perform your cleaning will depend on a number of factors, including how long it has been since your last exam and how good your home oral hygiene process is. If you need a deep cleaning treatment, you may have only part of your mouth cleaned during the visit and need to schedule another time for the remainder. The charting is done to make notes about your mouth for their records.
Dr. Laga will likely do quite a bit of probing in your mouth to make sure everything is healthy. He is looking for signs of any type of problem, so it can be taken care of. He will then go over with you what he has found and set up a plan of action, letting you know what he recommends and how many appointments will be necessary to take care of everything. You will also be advised about the costs and what is covered by your insurance plan. At any time during your dentistry checkup up if you have a question, make sure you ask it.
Need a dentistry checkup in Lakeland FL? Visit us at Northside Family Dental. Our friendly and caring staff are dedicated to helping you achieve a beautiful and healthy smile. Give us a call today.