Whether you have recently moved to St. Albert, have left home and are looking for your dentist, or are just now getting around to setting up regular dental checkups, the staff at Dentus Family Dental are looking forward to meeting and getting to know you. Here’s what we try to accomplish at checkups every six months and what you should expect at your first appointments.
Taking Your Medical History
At your first appointment with a new dentist in St. Albert, our dentist’s staff will take a complete medical history. This initial review will give our dental hygienist near you all the information necessary to identify particular issues of concern and develop a treatment plan to achieve your goals. Issues our dentist might discuss with you include:
- A review of any records transferred from a prior dentist
- Whether you are taking any medications
- Whether you have any allergies
- Whether you drink or smoke
- Your past and current dental treatment
- Your cosmetic goals
If things have changed since your last appointment, there may only be a complete review of your medical history at subsequent appointments with the same dentist. Since your last appointment, if you’ve experienced any emergencies or symptoms involving your mouth, teeth, gums, tongue, lips, face, head, jaw, or neck, be sure to tell our dentist and their staff. At the same time, tell them about any headache symptoms and breathing or sleeping issues. You may not understand the possible relationship between those issues and your teeth, but the staff at our dental clinic near you may be able to make connections that could help.
Conducting Examinations
Our dentist will perform a detailed examination of your teeth, gums, jaw, and the bones and structures of your face. Different dental offices use different imaging technologies, but they all provide information about structures beneath the surface of your skin, including bones and teeth. Some X-rays also provide detailed imaging of gum tissue to identify discolorations. Our dentist and their staff will take all appropriate steps to protect you from radiation exposure, though the risks of exposure are exceedingly low due to today’s advanced imaging technology. If you are pregnant, you should advise our dentist’s staff before any X-rays are taken.
Cleaning Your Teeth
At a typical checkup, our dentist will clean your teeth to remove any plaque and accumulated tartar that brushing and flossing alone cannot remove. After our dentist’s hygienist has cleaned your teeth, they’ll be polished to get them as bright as possible, pending your next checkup. Regular teeth cleanings in St. Albert will minimize the risk of tooth decay on an ongoing basis, but they are no substitute for annual deep teeth cleaning near you that our dentist’s staff will schedule annually.
Screening For Oral Cancer
Using the VELscope Oral Cancer screening system, our dentist will scan all of the soft tissues in your mouth with a handheld scanner. The blue light emitted by the VELscope excites tissues in your mouth differently. Abnormal cells indicating the potential presence of oral cancer appear differently when excited. Regular scanning allows our dentist to screen you for the earliest indications of oral cancer. Early detection significantly raises the five-year survival rate associated with oral cancers.
Making Recommendations
A dental checkup will be complete once you and our dentist can discuss their findings during the examination and develop a treatment plan to address any issues. Even without any necessary treatment, our dentist will provide recommendations regarding oral hygiene, decay prevention, gum disease prevention, and achieving your cosmetic dentistry goals. It is also an opportunity to ask any questions about your dental care or any concerning symptoms you may be experiencing.
Are you ready to define and keep on a path to good oral health? When you’re ready, we’re ready to partner with you. Get in contact with our dentist near you to get started.