Your First Visit

Location

Phone
(949) 551-5902

Address
4330 Barranca Parkway, Suite 140
Irvine, CA 92604

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What will your first visit be like?

Dentistry today has so much to offer...restorative and reconstructive dentistry, porcelain veneers and crowns, bonding, white fillings, whitening, implants...what is right for you? It has to begin with a comprehensive exam and diagnosis.

Unless there is some immediate concern, urgency, or a strictly cosmetic consult, the first visit will involve a comprehensive exam. If there is an immediate concern, it may need to be addressed first, then followed by a comprehensive evaluation. Before you and Dr. Rice can determine what is possible for long-term stability with regard to comfort, function, health and esthetics, your current condition is assessed. Your comprehensive exam is a baseline for future comparisons and is the basis for a lifetime master plan for oral health.

The following will be done during your INITIAL EVALUATION:

1. Review your medical and dental history
2. Clarifying your concerns, wants and expectations and/or problems
3. Oral cancer examination (done by dental Hygienist at Hygiene visit)
4. Tooth examination to check for decay, cracks, wear etc. Photographs to evaluate esthetics and condition of teeth and gums (diagnosis)
5. Full series of 20 views Periodontal Examination
6. Measuring all gum crevices to check for hidden gum disease
7. Condition (quality, quantity and recession level) of gum tissue
8. Measurement of mobility or looseness, another sign of problems
9. Are fillings or crowns causing gum irritation? Temporomandibular joint orthopedic examination 10. Palpation (pressing with finger tips) to check for inflammation
11. Range of motion tests to check jaw movements
12. Palpation (pressing) of all muscle groups both within and outside the mouth for any signs of discomfort or tension Occlusal (bite) examination (bite problems can be a cause dental failures)
13. Check if all teeth touch equally (engineering check)
14. Check how teeth meet when jaw moves in all directions Digital Radiographs
15. Full mouth series, 20 views, to show decay, infection, bone condition

After your examination, Dr. Rice will:
* Review all findings
* Discuss your treatment recommendations and sequence
* Give you a customized written report
* Discuss all fees
* Answer all questions to your satisfaction and understanding

If your condition warrants further evaluation the following will also be done:
Diagnostic study casts (models of your mouth) if needed

16. Two sets, one is a baseline, the other for 3D planning and blueprinting
17. Measurement to customize models for jaw simulator
18. Measurement for how teeth bite together
* Evaluate and study all the above information
* Consult with any specialists, if indicated
* Make a specific diagnosis for your current condition
* Design a blueprint for your care with the diagnostic casts
* Develop an individualized long-term treatment program and sequence
* Dr. Rice will then review and discuss everything at a consultation appointment.