After  your 10 point examination,  Dr.Smith will:

• 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 and photos
• Develop an individualized long-term treatment program and sequence based on your circumstances, goals and temperament
• Be up front about any limitations that may be encountered
• Give you a written report for your records
• Since removing bacteria is so important to minimizing future problems, we offer an "Oral Health Program" to help you in this area.

All this I just explained, is an initial exam.  If you have pain, an immediate concern or some urgent problem, that will certainly be taken care of first.

The benefit to you is solving the problem with the wisest use of your money.  Our approach will help you to have an attractive, healthy, comfortable mouth and teeth for a long, long time.

Before any treatment is done, you and Dr. Smith will:

• Review all findings with you to make sure you fully understand
• Talk with you about any individualized treatment recommendations, why they are recommended and discussed so all your questions are answered.  With the "10-point exam" there are no surprises.
• Discuss with you an appointment sequence that works for you and your circumstances.  The beauty of this is that once the Master Plan is made, the timing can be variable.  We have patients who want to get everything done right away.  We have others who because of their circumstances, prefer to sequence the treatment over several months, sometimes years.  This approach allows us to do that...and with no compromise of the end result.
• Discuss fully all fees involved
• Be up front about any limitations that may be encountered that may compromise results.
• Give you a written report for your records.
• Since removing bacteria is so important to minimizing future problems, we offer an "Oral Health Program" to help you in this area.

Without a doubt the biggest mistake I see is patients who have had limited/incomplete exams, incomplete diagnosis and treatment done in vacuum.  By that I mean limited treatment on one tooth or in one area, with unawareness of other problems that may be going on.  When your dentistry is done that way -  the problems never really get solved.  It seems every time you go to the dentist there is always something else to do.  This can be very frustrating for the patient.

There is another very important reason to do this thorough "10 point initial evaluation".  It has to do with your dental and oral health.  Nobody has a perfect mouth, teeth or gums.  But that does no mean that what is not perfect has to be treated to make it perfect.  If something is decayed, infected or broken, that's a different story-that does need to be treated.  But the important question to answer is "Is it changing or getting worse as time goes on?  " In other words, if there is recession, is it continuing?, if there are gum pockets, are they worsening?, is the bone level dropping?, is the wear worsening?, are teeth getting more crowded?, etc.  The only way to tell is to compare these concerns to the baseline findings of the "10 point initial evaluation".  Now when we see you for your yearly or twice yearly re-evaluation, we have something to compare to.  If it is changing or worsening, then we need to develop a solution.  But at that time we have good, valid reasons for the solution.