What’s the Goal of New Patient Dental Exams?

Walking into a new dental office may make you feel like the new kid on the block. You don’t know the dental team, and they don’t know you. That’s why your Winslow, Maine dentists from Kennebec Dental Excellence offer new patient dental exams. A new patient dental exam allows you and our team to meet and get to know one another. It helps establish a working relationship for the future and will help you feel more comfortable and supported in your oral health.

Importance of New Patient Dental Exams

When new patients visit our dental clinic, our goal isn’t just to address their immediate dental needs, although that’s important. Drs. Jeff Bue, Julie Change, and our team are interested in getting the big picture of your oral health so we can develop a plan to keep your smile healthy and beautiful long-term.  

Building a strong, healthy smile involves multiple components. During a new patient dental exam, we can gather the information to bolster your smile and overall oral health. This time is used to review your oral and medical health history, discuss problems you’re having with your teeth, learn more about your oral hygiene habits, and answer questions about your oral care. 

Once we’ve gathered the necessary information, we will conduct a physical oral exam that includes:

• Diagnostic X-Rays

During a new patient dental exam, we will take x-rays to check the bone health of your teeth and uncover hidden dental issues. X-rays will provide our team with an in-depth view of the state of your teeth, particularly under the gumline, where problems aren’t readily visible. This information is used to plan future treatments and monitor changes in your oral health.

• Comprehensive Dental Checkup 

We will thoroughly inspect your mouth, gums, jaw, and teeth for signs of abnormalities, cavities, or gum disease. We’ll evaluate your jaw function, check your tooth alignment and bite, feel your neck glands, and assess the state of the soft tissues in your mouth. Our findings will help set a precedent for future oral exams.

• Periodontal Checkup 

Periodontal disease is a severe gum infection that can cause irreparable damage to your gums and teeth. This condition develops slowly, with mild symptoms that can go unnoticed if you don’t see a dentist regularly. We will look for early warning signs of gum disease so you can implement measures to reverse the symptoms before permanent damage is caused. 

• Evaluation of Past Dental Work

We’ll assess past dental work, including fillings, crowns, implants, and bridges, to see if they’re still effective, need repairs, or need to be replaced. By maintaining these restorations in good condition, we can avert problems with your teeth in the future. 

Following the checkup, we will discuss our findings with you and schedule future visits to address your ongoing dental health needs.

New Patient Dental Checkup Near Me

Now that you know the goal of a new patient dental exam, we invite you to schedule one as soon as possible by calling Drs. Jeff Bue and Julie Chang from Kennebec Dental Excellence in Winslow, ME, at (207) 810-5088. 

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