When you book your first visit with us at The Briars Dental Centre, you might wonder why a new patient appointment requires more time than a regular check-up. The answer is simple: we’re not just examining your teeth, we’re getting to know you, your dental history, and creating a comprehensive picture of your oral health that will guide your care for years to come.
A new patient appointment at The Briars typically lasts between 45 minutes to an hour, compared to a standard recall appointment which usually takes around 20 to 30 minutes. This extra time isn’t arbitrary; it’s essential for providing the thorough, personalised care that sets the foundation for your ongoing dental health.
During your new patient appointment, we’re starting from scratch. Unlike our existing patients whose dental history, treatment preferences, and oral health patterns we already know, we need time to understand your unique needs, concerns, and goals. This comprehensive approach ensures we don’t miss anything important and allows us to create a tailored treatment plan that works specifically for you.
Think of it as the difference between meeting someone for the first time and catching up with an old friend. With our established patients, we already know their medical history, we’ve tracked changes in their oral health over time, and we understand their specific concerns. With a new patient, we’re building that relationship and knowledge base from the ground up.
Your new patient appointment is carefully structured to give us a complete understanding of your oral health. We’ve designed this process to be thorough yet comfortable, ensuring you feel informed and involved every step of the way.
Getting to Know You and Your Dental History
Before we even look inside your mouth, we’ll spend time discussing your medical history, any medications you’re taking, and your dental concerns. This conversation is crucial because many medical conditions and medications can affect your oral health. For instance, certain medications can cause dry mouth, which increases your risk of tooth decay, whilst conditions like diabetes can impact your gum health.
We’ll also discuss your dental goals. Perhaps you’ve always wanted straighter teeth, or maybe you’re concerned about discolouration. Understanding what matters to you helps us prioritise your treatment plan and ensure we’re working towards outcomes that genuinely improve your quality of life.
Comprehensive Intra-Oral Examination
The clinical examination during your new patient appointment involves a detailed assessment of every aspect of your oral health. Our dentist will carefully examine your teeth, checking for signs of decay, wear, cracks, or damage. Each tooth is assessed individually, and we’re looking not just at obvious problems, but also at early warning signs that might develop into issues if left unaddressed.
Your gum health receives equally thorough attention. We check for signs of gum disease, measuring pocket depths around your teeth and looking for inflammation, bleeding, or recession. Gum disease is incredibly common and often painless in its early stages, which is why this careful assessment is so important during your new patient appointment.
The soft tissues of your mouth, including your tongue, cheeks, and the roof and floor of your mouth, are examined carefully. This soft tissue examination is a vital part of oral cancer screening, something we take very seriously at The Briars. Early detection of oral cancer dramatically improves treatment outcomes, and your new patient appointment provides an opportunity for this potentially life-saving check.
Assessment of Your Jaw Joints and Bite
Many people don’t realise that dental health extends beyond just teeth and gums. During your new patient appointment, we assess your temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which are the joints that connect your jaw to your skull. We’ll check for clicks, tightness, or soreness around these joints, and evaluate how your teeth come together when you bite.
Problems with jaw joints or your bite can lead to headaches, facial pain, tooth wear, and difficulty chewing. By identifying these issues during your new patient appointment, we can address them before they develop into more significant problems or recommend appropriate specialist care if needed.
Radiographic Assessment
X-rays are an essential component of your new patient appointment, and they’re included in the £175 fee. These radiographs allow us to see what’s happening beneath the surface, revealing problems that aren’t visible during a visual examination alone.
Typically, we’ll take a full set of dental radiographs during your new patient appointment. This might include bitewing x-rays, which show the crowns of your teeth and are excellent for detecting decay between teeth, and periapical x-rays, which show the entire tooth including the root and surrounding bone. In some cases, we might also recommend a panoramic x-ray, which provides a comprehensive view of your entire mouth, jaw, and surrounding structures.
Once your radiographs are taken, we’ll review them with you in detail. This isn’t just a quick glance; we take time to explain what we’re seeing, point out any areas of concern, and answer your questions. This transparency is central to our approach at The Briars. We believe you should understand your oral health and be an active participant in decisions about your care.
After completing the examination and reviewing your radiographs, we’ll discuss any concerns that have been identified and create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. This is where the extra time allocated for your new patient appointment becomes particularly valuable.
If we’ve identified treatment needs, we’ll explain each one, why it’s necessary, what the treatment involves, and what might happen if it’s left untreated. We’ll also discuss timing and prioritisation. Some treatments are urgent, whilst others can be scheduled according to your preferences and convenience.
Cost transparency is important to us, so we’ll provide clear information about the investment required for any recommended treatments. We want you to make informed decisions without financial surprises, and we’re always happy to discuss payment options and financing if needed.
Discussing Factors That Impact Your Oral Health
Your new patient appointment also includes an important conversation about lifestyle factors that affect your dental health. We’ll discuss your diet, particularly your consumption of sugary or acidic foods and drinks, as these play a significant role in tooth decay and erosion.
If you have medical concerns that might impact your dental health, such as acid reflux, eating disorders, or dry mouth, we’ll address how these can be managed to protect your teeth and gums. This holistic approach ensures we’re not just treating problems as they arise, but working to prevent them in the first place.
For patients who smoke or use tobacco products, we’ll have a supportive conversation about how this affects oral health and offer resources to help if you’re interested in quitting. Similarly, if you’re anxious about dental treatment, we’ll discuss the various options we have available to help you feel more comfortable during future appointments.
Many of our new patients will have already attended a Treatment Coordinator appointment before their new patient appointment with the dentist. This separate appointment is an integral part of our new patient process and deserves special mention.
During your TCO appointment, we use our iTero digital scanner to create a detailed 3D scan of your teeth and take clinical photographs. These records are incredibly valuable and often become an important point of discussion during your new patient appointment with the dentist.
The iTero scan provides a level of detail that traditional impressions simply can’t match, and it’s particularly useful if you’re considering treatments like Invisalign or dental implants. The clinical photographs give us an excellent reference point to track changes in your oral health over time.
Having these records available during your new patient appointment means your dentist can refer to them when discussing treatment options, show you visual examples of what they’re seeing, and help you understand proposed treatments more clearly. It’s another way we use advanced digital technology to enhance your care and improve communication.
The £175 fee for your new patient appointment at The Briars represents exceptional value considering everything that’s included. This comprehensive fee covers your extended appointment time with the dentist, a full clinical examination of your teeth, gums, soft tissues, and jaw joints, a complete set of necessary radiographs, a detailed review of those x-rays with explanations, a personalised treatment plan with clear recommendations, and time to discuss your concerns, ask questions, and understand your options.
Importantly, the radiographs are included in this fee rather than being charged separately. This means you know exactly what your new patient appointment will cost with no unexpected additions. At many practices, x-rays incur additional charges, but we believe in transparent pricing that allows you to budget with confidence.
This investment in your new patient appointment sets the foundation for your ongoing care at The Briars. The comprehensive assessment we complete during this first visit means that your subsequent appointments can be more efficient, as we already have a detailed baseline understanding of your oral health.
Towards the end of your new patient appointment, we’ll discuss your future care. For some patients, this means scheduling immediate treatment for issues that need prompt attention. For others, it might simply mean booking your next routine examination and hygiene appointment.
We’ll recommend an appropriate recall interval based on your individual needs. The standard recommendation is every six months, but some patients benefit from more frequent visits, particularly if they have gum disease or are at higher risk of tooth decay. Conversely, patients with excellent oral health and low risk factors might be suitable for longer intervals between appointments.
If you require specialist treatment, such as endodontics, periodontics, or complex restorative work, we’ll explain this during your new patient appointment and arrange appropriate referrals. At The Briars, we’re fortunate to have specialists practising in-house, which means convenient, coordinated care without the need to travel to multiple locations.
Your new patient appointment marks the beginning of what we hope will be a long and positive relationship. We’re not just here to fix problems; we’re here to help you maintain optimal oral health and achieve the smile you’ve always wanted.
The time we invest in your new patient appointment pays dividends in the quality of care we can provide going forward. Because we’ve taken the time to understand your oral health comprehensively, we can spot changes or developing issues early, provide personalised preventive advice, and offer treatments that align with your goals and circumstances.
We understand that visiting a new dental practice can feel daunting, particularly if you’ve had negative experiences in the past or if you feel anxious about dental treatment. The extended time allocated for your new patient appointment allows us to put you at ease, answer all your questions, and demonstrate that your comfort and understanding are priorities for us.
If you’re looking for a dental practice in West Berkshire that combines advanced technology with personalised, patient-centred care, we’d love to welcome you to The Briars Dental Centre. Our comprehensive new patient appointment ensures you receive the thorough assessment and individual attention you deserve.
To book your new patient appointment, call us on 01635 40311 or contact us here! Our friendly reception team will be happy to answer any questions you have about the process and find an appointment time that suits your schedule.
Your smile means everything to us, and your new patient appointment is the first step towards achieving your dental goals with our experienced, friendly team.
To find out more about recommended check-up intervals and what to expect, have a look at The British Dental Association patient information here: https://bda.org/patients
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