The First Visit To A Periodontist
What Happens at Your First Visit?
During your first visit to a periodontist, your medical and dental history will be reviewed to help identify any conditions or concerns that could affect your oral health. You’ll also receive a thorough periodontal examination to check the health of your teeth, gums, and supporting bone. This includes checking for signs of gum disease, bone loss, loose teeth, bleeding gums, and problems with your bite or temporomandibular joints (TMJ). An oral cancer screening may also be performed to look for any unusual changes in the tissues of your mouth. The information gathered during this examination will help your periodontist determine whether treatment is needed and develop a plan based on your individual needs.
Generally, an initial periodontal exam is considered to be gentle, and you can expect there to be very little - if any - discomfort. So, it is not an exam that should cause a lot of concern about pain or discomfort.
For your first visit to a periodontist, you should make sure to bring a list of any questions you might have for the periodontist. It can be helpful to write your questions down on paper or in the notes on your phone before the visit since first visits to any health care professional can make people feel nervous. Often people forget to ask important questions at first appointments, so writing questions down can really be helpful. It’s also important to bring the following:
- Referral forms from your dentist and any X-rays from the dentist who referred you
- List of medications that you currently take. It can be a good idea to download a registration form and a medical history form from the periodontist before your visit and take time to fill them out to the best of your ability.
- Dental insurance information or insurance card, if applicable
- Anyone under 18 will, of course, need to have a parent or guardian along for the exam
The periodontist will definitely need any current or recent dental X-rays. Oftentimes, if a dentist has referred you to a periodontist, they will happily forward any X-rays that may have already been taken to the periodontist.
What Does Periodontal Treatment Cost?
Since each patient has a different situation and history, the periodontist will complete a full exam before being able to establish a specific treatment plan with relevant estimated fees for care. There can be a big variance in cost for periodontal treatments. The cost will depend on the complexity of your dental/periodontal issues, the type of problems you may have, and how long the periodontist expects the treatment to take. Your location can also be a factor in costs associated with periodontal treatment. An estimate of expected fees can often be determined at your first visit, but sometimes more testing or initial treatments can be required before a full plan for treatment is clearly established.
A lot of patients have natural concerns about what dental insurance may or may not cover. The good news is that many dental insurance policies often do cover at least some of the cost of periodontal treatments. It is important to bring all health and dental information and any insurance cards to your first appointment.
Is Surgery a Typical Part of Periodontal Treatment?
When treated early enough, gum disease can be treated without any surgery. So, not everyone who has periodontal issues needs surgery. Often periodontists try to treat issues as conservatively as they can to achieve ideal treatment. But each individual case is different, and typically you will be able to get a good sense of ideal treatment for your specific periodontal issues at your first appointment.
Another positive consideration is that there have been many advancements in periodontal treatment in recent years, and so most teeth can be treated successfully and therefore preserved. It really depends on your specific periodontal issues and conditions.
How Involved Is Your Regular Dentist Likely To Be?
It is common for a patient’s dentist and periodontist to work together closely. For example, if you need crowns and/or fillings, you can expect your dentist to provide the appropriate treatment for those issues. The dentist and periodontist typically share and exchange treatment information to allow for the best treatment possible.
What Happens When Someone Chooses Not To Have Periodontal Treatment?
Because periodontal disease is a painless, yet progressive infection, it is VERY important not to delay periodontal treatment. Waiting or opting out of treatment can lead to more bone loss and eventually can lead to much more expense. More complicated treatments are often costly and stressful. And, if periodontal disease results in loss of teeth, not only can getting the right dentures be its own complex treatment procedure, but dentures will simply never be as effective or comfortable as a person’s own natural teeth. Periodontal treatment is not a treatment that dental health care professionals recommend postponing. If payment or cost is a real concern make sure to explore all your treatment and payment options so that you don’t feel you have to delay recommended periodontal treatment.
More About Your First Consultation Appointment
At an initial periodontal consultation appointment, you will be checked for gum or periodontal disease. In this full examination, the periodontist or technician will use various instruments and X-rays for measurements and imaging to help identify any periodontal issues you may have. One typical periodontal instrument used for exams is known as a periodontal probe and is used for gently measuring the depth of what is called the sulcus. The sulcus is actually a shallow crevice which is V-shaped and is situated between the gums and teeth. When the sulcus is healthy, its depth is typically three millimeters or less. If it is unhealthy, the depth can be greater than three millimeters. So this measurement is actually quite important.
If a person has healthy gum tissue, then these gum tissues will not bleed during an exam. So, if your gums are healthy, there should be no bleeding during an examination. If there is any unhealthy gum tissue, then bleeding of the gums can be a sign and therefore can happen during an exam. In addition, periodontal or gum disease can cause the sulcus to actually deepen into a pocket-like space. So this is something that is examined closely. The periodontal probe is often used for this purpose and can be helpful in determining if any pockets have developed, as well as the actual depth of any existing pockets. As a general rule, the deeper the pocket, the more serious the disease. Periodontists will also often use dental X-rays and/or radiographs to help in evaluating how much natural bone support there is for your teeth. These X-rays and radiographs can also be helpful in detecting other issues that periodontists are not able to see just from looking with their eyes.
During your initial examination, your periodontist will carefully evaluate your oral health and ask about any symptoms or concerns you may have. Your personal experiences, along with your medical history and the findings from your examination, play an important role in determining an accurate diagnosis. Additional diagnostic tools, such as dental X-rays, may also be used to better understand your condition.
Once the examination is complete, your periodontist will discuss the findings and recommend a treatment plan based on your needs. This will include an explanation of the proposed procedures, available treatment options, and estimated costs. You are encouraged to ask questions and discuss any concerns before moving forward. Your periodontist can also coordinate with your general dentist to ensure you receive the most appropriate care.