Limestone Dental Associates - Procedures - The New Patient Experience

The New Patient Experience

When was the last time you felt listened to, really listened to, in a doctor's office? At Limestone Dental, we take the time to understand the unique set of physical and personal circumstances that you bring to our office. Before we can talk about treatment, we need to understand the fears that result from previous experiences, your goals for the future and your financial realities.

The cornerstone of your experience at Limestone Dental Associates is the Comprehensive Oral Evaluation. In most circumstances, it is done at your initial visit and consists of the procedures listed below:

New Patient Interview: Conducted by Dr. Nibouar or Dr. Annone in the privacy of our consultation room, the new patient interview gives us time to get to know each other. We discuss your medical and dental history and, most important, the effect that your previous dental experiences have had on your attitude about dentistry. We'll talk about what you want from us and what you would like your smile to be like now and in the future. We will discuss your financial circumstances and how they might affect ideal dental treatment. When we are comfortable with each other, we'll move to the clinical part of the New Patient Experience.
Oral Cancer Screening: The face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, cheeks, and gums are examined for signs of oral cancer.
Temporomandibular Joint Evaluation (TMJ): The TMJ is examined to be sure it is functioning normally. We look for pain, joint sounds, limitation or pain on opening, clenching or grinding, muscle tenderness and headaches.
Occlusal Examination: We evaluate your bite to see if the teeth are in the proper position to create a pleasing smile and to function properly.
Examination of the Teeth: The teeth, existing fillings and crowns are evaluated for wear, recurrent decay, leakage and cosmetic appearance.
Periodontal (Gum) Evaluation: The gums and bone around the teeth are examined and measured for signs of inflammation, infection, gum recession and bone loss.
Cosmetic Evaluation: How do you feel about your smile? Do you like the color, shape and alignment of your teeth? If you could change your smile, how would you like it to look? As part of a Comprehensive Smile Analysis, we measure the current shade of your teeth, take digital photos and impressions for further study.
Digital X-rays: Once we understand the conditions in your mouth we take the minimum number of x-rays necessary to complete our diagnosis. This may include a full series of x-rays, a panoramic x-ray or analysis of x-rays from a previous dentist.
Consultation: In many cases we need time to thoroughly analyze the information we have collected and create a personalized treatment plan. This is usally done at a separate visit where we allow time to thoroughly discuss our findings and talk about the details of treatment, including time and cost.