The Comprehensive Exam
A complete and thorough evaluation of your oral-facial structures...
Grading your overall Dental Health from both a functional and esthetic approach.
Your first experience with Dr. Denison and his staff will be the Comprehensive Dental Examination. We call this our "Co-Discovery" appointment. By "Co-Discovery", we mean that you and Dr. Denison can sit down in a relaxed "one on one" atmosphere to find out together the true level of your dental health.
During this time you will help Dr. Denison to understand any Dental complaints, desires or other health issues that a new patient may have. It also lets both Dr. Denison and you discuss certain pertinent dental issues. The comprehensive exam also enables you to get to know us.
This is paramount to Dr. Denison and his Dental Team. We want you to feel comfortable with any dental treatment done in this office. We feel that by taking the time to understand your dental condition and desires, we can better educate both ourselves and our patients. We want our patients to understand what treatment needs to be done, why it is being done, and any fees associated with treatment.
With modern Dentistry, it is possible to restore most Dental conditions to a positive, stable, long term result. This is done with both esthetics and function working hand in hand to reach a desirable result.
What is involved in the Comprehensive Examination ?
Medical History:
A thorough medical and dental history is taken with each new patient. Your chief complaints are discussed as well as any previous dental experiences, and treatment wishes.
Temporomandibular Joint Exam:
A healthy TMJ is critical in achieving long term stability of the dental environment. A detailed palpation of the muscles of the face and neck and the TMJ is done. Tactile, visual, and in some cases ausculatation examination is used to diagnose the health of the TMJ, and surrounding structures.
Radiographs:
A full mouth series of x-rays, as well as a panolypse is usually taken. The full mouth series, or FMX, shows each idividual tooth diagnosing any pathology associated with the tooth and the surrounding bone support. The panolypse shows the surrounding structures of the mouth. It will show the sinuses, as well as the physical shape of the upper and lower jaws. If necessary, other imaging treatments can be ordered to diagnose certain dental problems.
Occlusal Examination:
Occlusion is a term we use in dentistry to explain how we bite, or close our teeth together. During the comprehensive exam, models of your teeth are fabricated, and mounted on an machine to evaluate your bite. The way we close, or bite is an instrumental part of the process.
Periodontal Examination:
By the use of certain tools, we can diagnose the health of your gums.
Esthetic Examination:
A smile analysis is performed, including photographs of your teeth. Symmetry, and harmony of your teeth are evaluated in respect to your facial form and profile. Tooth shade is also evaluated to discuss tooth whitening if desired.
Benefits of a Comprehensive Examination:
- You will have a good idea, and understanding of your overall dental condition.
- The examination may bring to light a new understanding of your teeth, or any problems that you have been worried about.
- Hopefully Dr. Denison and his staff will have been able to educate, and answer any questions that you may have in regards to your mouth, and possible treatment.
- If restorative, or esthetic dentistry is being treatment planned, you will have a good idea of what can be done to get you to your desired result.
- A plan may be brought forth to organize and sequence treatment to do the optimum dentistry for your desired esthetic result.
- By finding the cause of the problems and possible solutions, you will be able to formulate a better educated decision about your further dental care. We are interested in treating the problem, not the symptoms. If you can diagnose, and treat problems, the symptoms always seem to go away.