Dental Intake process

Okay, so we got assigned to a new dental office by knowing the right people. But did we get the right dentist? With Carolyn out of town on one of her many field visits, it fell to me to try out the new practice.

Fortunately, they had an opening the very next day after we were accepted and had our coverage verified. Upon arrival, I was asked to complete a short but detailed health history. Then Milly, a dental assistant, escorted me into a room that had been specially designed for full jaw x-rays. It didn't even have an examination chair as the x-rays are taken with the patient standing. That makes it easier for the contraption to swing all the way around the head while x-raying the jaw. I was very impressed with the speed of the process. Of course the imaging is all handled by computer so there is no film to develop. It makes you wonder why anyone even thinks of using film anymore.

I was then led to an examining room and seated in the usual recliner. Milly took four more smaller area x-rays, again using computer processing rather than any x-ray film. Thus, the images were ready immediately. Before turning me over to George, a dental hygienist, Milly placed a battery operated blood pressure cuff on my wrist to get a baseline reading for that.

George then carefully examined the gum line on each of my teeth, calling out numbers to the dental assistant who was entering them in the computer as fast as he called them. After George finished, there was not even a minute's wait before Dr. Richard Fife came into the room and began examining my jaw for any motion problems, my mouth and throat for any evidence of cancer, and then each of my teeth in turn for fillings and crowns or the need for such. Very professional and efficient. Milly continued to take notes for each tooth as the doctor proceeded.

It took less than an hour and I had my dental records in place, an appointment for my next cleaning, and another appointment for a crown which I have been putting off for several months. I think I'm going to like this place.