We are dedicated to understanding what your goals are for your dental health and helping you achieve them. The initial comprehensive examination appointment is a time to understand your needs and begin formulating the best treatment plan for you.
While some limited treatment may be managed without a complete comprehensive exam, there is no question that a thorough evaluation is necessary to fully understand the state of your dental health and generate an optimal treatment plan for you.
At this appointment, we will collect information about the following main areas:
Tooth Structure - We will examine your teeth for the presence of decay and the integrity and function of existing restorations.
Gum Tissues - We will examine the health of the gum tissues surrounding your teeth.
Function of the Bite - We will look at how your teeth fit together and how well the bite is in harmony with your jaw joint.
Some of the diagnostic information we may collect during this visit may include the following:
Intraoral Series of Photographs - This is an invaluable aid in helping you see and understand what is really going on with your teeth and gums. You will be able to see your teeth as the dentist sees them.
Full Dental Charting - This is a charting of the existing teeth, existing restorations, checking for the presence of decay, and the integrity of all restorations.
Laser Caries Detection - This helps us detect decay in the very earliest stages so corrections can be made before the decay can even be felt by a dentist with a dental instrument.
Periodontal Probing - This is a procedure where we check the depths of the gum crevices next to the teeth. Shallow depths are healthy and maintainable whereas deeper gum “pockets” may tell us that the supporting bone around the teeth is silently being damaged.
Soft Tissue Exam - The soft tissues inside your mouth (such as your tongue, palate, and cheeks) will be examined to verify their health.
Jaw and Bite Information - This part of your exam will seek to determine how your teeth fit together and how this interrelates to the health of the jaw joint.
An Appropriate Series of Radiographs - A dental x-ray exam gives us invaluable information on the state of your teeth and the supporting bone around them. With modern dental X-Ray equipment, there is tremendous benefit to this diagnostic procedure.
Once the diagnostic workup is complete, you will be given a follow-up consultation appointment in a few days. This will give Dr. Rumberger time to review and analyze your data. At the consultation appointment, you and the doctor will review the treatment options, and come up with the best individualized treatment plan for you.