Your First Visit
Your first appointment will consist of a consultation to review your medical history, diagnose your dental problem and discuss your treatment options. Very often, we can perform the root canal treatment during this appointment. However, a complicated medical history or treatment plan will require a more extensive evaluation and possibly multiple visits to correct the problem.
Please refrain from taking pain medication at least 6 hours prior to your consultation appointment, as it can interfere with diagnostic testing.
Our office utilizes a digital practice management software program (TDO) and is entirely paperless. We ask that you complete the appropriate forms online prior to your appointment. Our front office will email you a link to the forms and an access code. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. Please bring your referral slip from your general dentist and your insurance information.
Regarding xrays, your general dentist usually emails them to us prior to your appointment. If we don’t get xrays from your general dentist, or if they are of inadequate quality and/or angulation for our purposes, we will need to take our own. Some general dentists take CBCT scans on their patients (3D xray). If you have a recent CBCT scan, please bring a copy with you on a flash drive.
Building a foundation of trust by treating our patients as special individuals is vital to our success. We understand how uneasy some patients may feel about root canal treatment, and how we can make a difference in providing a relaxing and positive experience. For our patients who are overly anxious about receiving endodontic treatment, we can either utilize nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) or prescribe an oral sedative medication.
There is a spectrum of the endodontic disease process, ranging from mild inflammation of the pulp to chronic infection of the pulp that has extended to the surrounding bone and periodontium. We are more concerned with providing quality care than quick care. If the anatomy in your tooth is complex and/or there are signs and symptoms of infection, it may require more than one visit in our office to successfully treat your problem. The doctors will discuss your specific case with you at the consultation visit.