Dr. Gray and Dr. Abedi perform a thorough comprehensive examination for all of our new patients. A comprehensive exam is an all-inclusive examination to inform us with all the necessary information regarding your medical and dental health. This allows for a better treatment plan that not only keeps in mind the immediate, short term, and long term goals enabling our dentists to come up with a plan that best suits each individual patient’s personal goals. Furthermore, the mouth is really a window into the whole body. Therefore, many medical conditions may be discovered by a comprehensive dental exam before symptoms show up elsewhere in the body.
Here are some examples of the systemic conditions that are related to or can be first seen in the oral cavity:
- Diabetes: Especially poorly controlled or undiagnosed diabetes. Diabetes has significant impact on decay rate and periodontal disease.
- Systemic disorders: Disorders as leukemia often show up in the mouth first.
- Blood pressure: Hypertension also known as the “silent killer” often goes undiagnosed. We have picked up many cases of hypertension through our routine blood pressure checks.
- Cardiovascular problems: Gum and bone disease can raise your risk of heart disease.
- Oral cancer and neck cancer: Oral cancer screening is done on all our patients during our comprehensive and routine exams both clinically and also through x-rays.
- Several Immune system abnormalities: Severall autoimmune disease can show signs and symptoms in the oral cavity.
Wondering what to expect during a a comprehensive dental exam? Here is a list of what it entails:
- Complete medical and dental history
- Review of medications and their effect on systemic and dental health
- Head and Neck exam which includes the clinical portion of oral cancer screen
- Intra and extra oral exam of soft tissues
- Periodontal exam to check the gum and bones around the teeth
- Dental examination of the teeth
- Bite analysis exam
- Jaw joints examination
- Intra-oral and Panoramic X-rays that allow for examination of bones, teeth and any possible pathological conditions
- Quantity and quality of saliva function examination
- Esthetic exam which includes the tooth appearance and gums related to the face
