Most people arriving for a first periodontal appointment are carrying some version of the same worry: that they are about to be told something bad, and that something is going to be done to them today without much warning.
Neither is usually what happens. The first visit is largely an examination and a conversation. So here is the whole thing, start to finish, so there are no surprises.
Before You Arrive
Bring your medication list. All of it, including supplements and anything over the counter. Blood thinners, bisphosphonates, immunosuppressants and diabetes medication all genuinely affect planning, and “I think it’s a small white one” is not enough to go on.
Bring your medical history, including any heart conditions, joint replacements, or recent surgery.
Bring recent X-rays if another practice has them. We may still take our own, since periodontal assessment needs specific views, but prior images show change over time, which is often the most informative thing available.
Bring your questions written down. People forget them in the chair. There is no such thing as a question that is too basic here.
Eat normally beforehand and take your usual medication unless you have been told otherwise. Do not stop a blood thinner before a dental appointment unless the doctor who prescribed it has told you to.
The Conversation First
We start by asking why you are here and what you have noticed. If you were referred, we will have your dentist’s notes, but your own account matters, because patients routinely mention things that never made it into a referral letter.
Expect questions about bleeding, sensitivity, looseness, bad taste, whether anything has changed, your medical history, whether you smoke, and whether anyone in your family lost teeth early. That last one is not small talk; genetic susceptibility to periodontal disease is real.
The Examination
This is the substantial part, and it is measurement rather than treatment.
Periodontal charting. A small probe is used to measure the depth of the space between gum and tooth at six points around every tooth. You will hear numbers being called out. Roughly, one to three millimetres is healthy, four and above indicates a pocket. It can feel like light pressure and it may be tender where tissue is inflamed, but it should not be painful. Say so if it is.
Bleeding points. We record where the gums bleed on probing. Bleeding is a sign of active inflammation and it is one of the more useful measures we have.
Recession and attached tissue. How far the gum has moved and how much firm tissue remains.
Mobility. Whether any teeth move, and how much.
X-rays. To see bone levels, which is the part you cannot assess by looking. Sometimes a 3D scan if implants are being considered.
A look at everything else. Existing restorations, your bite, how the teeth meet, and a routine oral cancer screening, which we do for every patient as a matter of course.
Then We Explain What We Found
This is the part that should not be rushed, and you should leave understanding your own mouth better than when you arrived.
Expect to be shown your X-rays on screen rather than told about them. Expect to see your charting, with the numbers explained. Expect a plain answer to “how bad is it” and to “what happens if I do nothing.”
If you have gum disease, you should hear which stage, what that means, and which teeth are most affected. If a tooth is in trouble, you should hear that directly rather than have it implied.
Ask what the alternatives are, including ones we do not provide. Ask what the maintenance looks like afterward. Those are the two questions that most reveal how thoroughly a plan has been thought through. You can read more about your first visit.
Will Anything Be Done Today?
Usually not, and that is deliberate.
The first appointment is for diagnosis. Treatment gets planned once we have the full picture, and you get to go home and think about it rather than deciding in the chair.
Exceptions exist. Acute infection, significant pain, or something that genuinely should not wait may be addressed the same day. If so, we will explain why before doing anything.
You will not be talked into treatment on the day. If that is the pressure you were anticipating, it should not happen here, and if it ever happens anywhere, that itself is information about the practice.
The Written Plan and the Costs
You should leave with, or shortly receive, a written plan: what is recommended, in what sequence, roughly over what timeframe, and what it costs.
Our team will help you understand what your insurance is likely to cover before you commit. Periodontal coverage varies a lot between plans and it is better to know upfront than to discover it afterward.
If the plan is significant, take it away and think about it. Get a second opinion if you want one. Nobody reasonable is offended by that, and it is a normal thing to do with substantial treatment.
A Few Practical Things
Length. Allow about an hour for a first visit, sometimes a little more if imaging is extensive.
Comfort. Charting is the least comfortable part and it is brief. Tell us if you are tender and we will adjust. If dental anxiety is an issue for you, say so when you book rather than when you arrive, so we can plan the appointment differently.
Bring someone if it helps. Plenty of patients bring a partner, particularly for a plan that involves decisions.
No referral needed. Many patients are referred by their general dentist, but you can book directly, including just for a second opinion. If you do not currently have a general dentist, we can help you find one.
You can book an appointment here.
Common Questions
Q: Will it hurt?
A: The examination is measurement, not treatment. Probing can be tender where tissue is inflamed but should not be painful. Tell us if it is.
Q: Do I need a referral?
A: No. You can come directly.
Q: Will I need surgery?
A: Many patients do not. A lot of periodontal treatment is non-surgical, and any recommendation comes after the examination, not before.
Q: How long will the appointment take?
A: Around an hour, sometimes a bit longer with imaging.
Q: Can I bring my previous X-rays?
A: Yes, please do. Prior images show change over time, which is genuinely useful even if we take our own.
Talk it through with Dr. Cherry
A calm, unhurried look at where your gums stand, here in Lone Tree.
