Your First Cosmetic Dentistry Appointment
Dallas, TX – A cosmetic dentist can help you correct a wide range of issues with your teeth and smile. They have many different procedures and techniques for improving the appearance of your teeth and can help you with any concerns you may have about your oral health. If you have never visited a cosmetic dentist before, there are a few things you need to know about the process and what may be involved in your first visit.
Unlike your regular dentist who you may use to clean and repair your teeth when they need attention, a cosmetic dentist is more focused on improving the look of your teeth and smile. They normally work on healthy teeth and their aim is to correct for crooked or misaligned teeth and help you improve your bite and other aspects of your oral health. During the course of your treatment they may perform certain procedures, like filling a tooth, but are really more concerned with helping you achieve the perfect smile you are after.
Your first visit to a cosmetic dentist can be a fairly involved affair. Since the dentist has not seen you before, they need to establish a starting point for your oral health and will spend a lot of the time on an initial visit assessing your needs. When you arrive there will be a series of forms and questionnaires that you will need to complete to give the cosmetic dentist an idea of your oral history. This will include details of any prior work you have had done on your teeth, if you have had any orthodontic procedures and if there is anything causing you pain or discomfort presently. All of these answers will help the cosmetic dentist start to form an opinion about your needs.
When you have finished the forms, the dentist will then perform a complete examination of your teeth and gums. This may include a tooth-by-tooth inspection for cavities and loose teeth as well as locations of concern. The cosmetic dentist may also take a series of photographs of your teeth, bite and smile to establish a starting point for any work you may be having done. They may also require an X-ray of your teeth to further assess the health of your gums and roots. This can either be a series of single X-rays, or some cosmetic dentists like to do a panoramic X-ray that shows them your entire upper and lower jaws in one picture. This X-ray will help them get an idea of tooth placement as well as general health of your jawbone in case dental implants are needed to replace lost teeth.
Once the check-up and X-rays are done the cosmetic dentist will spend some time with you in a consultation to see what you think needs attention. They will also offer up an opinion of their findings and normally explain what they think should be done to improve your bite or smile. Since insurance may not cover all of the procedures, they may also discuss the costs and a schedule of treatment that will fit your budget. Most cosmetic dentists are very sensitive to your desires and can normally adjust the treatment to fit whatever timetable you are comfortable pursuing. A good cosmetic dentist can be the best advocate for giving you a beautiful smile that you can enjoy for years to come.
Biographical Info: Phillip Crum is the Chief Idea Officer of Sir Speedy Walnut Hill located at 2414 Arbuckle Court Dallas, TX 75229, and is committed to the idea of helping small business owners do a better job of finding their next customer or client. He also runs a local search marketing firm, MarketingMeasure and employs those additional capabilities in the overall marketing services menu of offerings. Phillip can be reached at 214-213-7445, or pcrum@MarketingMeasure.com.