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What can I expect from my first dental assessment appointment with you?


Have you ever felt anxious before walking into a dental appointment? If so, don’t worry because you’re not alone. According to research, over a third of dental patients experience some form of dental anxiety before a first dental visit. While that statistic may not offer much in the way of comfort, here at Hermitage Dental Practice, we believe in making your dental visit a relaxing and comfortable experience. That starts with knowing exactly what you can expect.

We are going to explain step-by-step how your first dental assessment appointment should go so that you can be prepared, please don't be worried, its not half as bad as you think!


Prior to your visit

Before your first visit with one of our private dentists, we will send you some forms via email from our patient bridge software (please be aware that they may go to your junk). We ask that you fill out the information at home to avoid having to do this when you arrive. The forms contain important information such as your medical and social history, you will be asked about any medical conditions and medications that you are taking as well as smoking and alcohol consumption.

Make sure you plan sufficient time off work to avoid feeling rushed if you feel anxious. As a private practice we allocate more time to each appointment, and generally run on time, meaning you wont feel rushed when you are with us or be left waiting for long.

Try to arrive a little early if you were unable to complete the forms beforehand on your first dental visit, so you get to keep all the time in your appointment and the dentist will not have to rush. Don’t worry; our friendly reception team can help you to complete the forms on a tablet if you were unable to do them at home.


Treatment co-ordinators

The first stage of your Dental Assessment is with one of our friendly and experienced treatment co-ordinators. They will get to know you, offer you a drink and chat to you about any problems that you are having before you go through to see the dentist. The treatment co-ordinators will also take a 3d scan of your mouth for the dentist to review within the appointment and take some photographs both inside and outside of the mouth. This is a good opportunity to let us know about any concerns that you may have about your oral health and any anxiety before you see the dentist.


Dental Assessment

Our treatment co-ordinators will guide you through to the dentist who will speak to you in detail about any dental concerns you have and complete a thorough examination. The examination includes a full assessment of the mouth including teeth integrity, gum health assessment, oral cancer screening which includes checking the floor of the mouth, tongue, palate and all of the soft tissues. We also check the jaw joints, the lips, cheeks and neck. The dentist will take x-rays and discuss their findings with you. They will also discuss your smile and if there is anything that you are unhappy with and would like to change.


Treatment co-ordinators

Once you have completed your dental assessment, your allocated treatment co-ordinator will then spend time explaining the treatment plan proposed by the dentist. They will go through all treatment options including costs, time frames and pros and cons of the different options taking into consideration each patients preferences. This certainly is not a rushed appointment! As a practice, it is extremely important to us that our patients are well informed of all of their options and do not feel rushed into a decision. Our treatment co-ordinators will be able to assist you with payment options and a 0% finance application if required. You will be given the contact details of your treatment co-ordinator who you are able to contact if you require more information about anything at all.

After your discussion, you’ll be guided back to the reception team, where they will talk you through your next appointment. This may be because you need follow-up care relevant to your first visit or to participate in regular dental check-ups. Either way, you’ll know exactly what you need to do and the team will help you with booking anything back in.

We really take our time to get to know you as this is key to building a trusting relationship with all of our patients to date.

Please have a look at our 5 star google reviews. Our team are known for our empathetic manner and possesses the skills to put you immediately at ease. We aim to make you feel comfortable and relaxed during your dental appointment, and we will do all we can to ensure your first dental visit is a positive one.

If you do have any queries or concerns before you visit, please feel free to contact us or pop in to say hello.


Why not give us a try?

Have you recently moved into the area and are looking to change your current dentist, or haven’t had a dental appointment in a while? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Please contact Hermitage Dental Practice on 01530 510533 or email our friendly reception team on reception@hermitagedental.co.uk and they will be happy to help you.

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