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Appointment: New patient Exam & Patient Obligations

Christchurch Dentist –  New Patient Exam

In order to best care for you as our patient and to deliver the most effective treatment possible, our dentist must gather comprehensive dental records. A new patient exam at Christchurch Boutique Dental will typically take between 1 to 1.5 hours. Our dentist will discuss with you your primary concerns (if there are any) followed by diagnostic photography, bitewing X-rays and an OPG (full mouth x-ray). Once all the necessary information has been collected, the dentist will carry out a thorough examination of your teeth as well as the supporting structures in your head and neck.

Christchurch Dentist – Patient obligations – Prior to treatment

Most patients presents to us with specific aesthetic issues they want to correct. These pathologies are often complex. It is important for our patients to fully understand and be fully informed of the treatments they are about to undertake. Our patients are obliged to take note of the following:

• Successful aesthetic dentistry on our front teeth relies upon the support from our molars. Our jaw muscles generate around 80kg of force. Without strong molars to support this weight, our newly built front teeth will chip, tilt or suffer catastrophic fractures as a result. Therefore restoring broken or worn down molars is a key factor in successful aesthetic dentistry. Patients that are unwilling to restore the health of their molars beforehand, must understand the risks they face as a result.
• Gums and the underlying jaw bone are the foundations of our teeth. Before any aesthetic treatments at Christchurch Boutique Dental, our patients need to commit to maintaining adequate oral hygiene. Throughout the treatment phase, the quality of home care will be closely monitored, and oral health plans will be prescribed by our dentist as required. Therefore, achieving perfect gum health is the first step to crafting a natural smile.
• Before your treatment, it is important to communicate your expectations and your understanding of the planned procedures. Hence, effective communication is crucial at this stage. Rehabilitation of the oral structures begin with our dentist examining facial contours, lip lines and phonetics. This information is recorded and analysed in a unique way. And until this analysis is complete, it is not possible for our dentist to formulate a treatment plan, and therefore the cost of the treatment cannot be accurately calculated.
• Correct treatment planning at Christchurch Boutique dental depends on a patient’s preclinical condition, evidence based research and the expertise of the clinician. Therefore, patients are not allowed to formulate their own treatment plans.
• Aesthetic dental treatments differ from conventional dental treatments. Patient’s ideas and perceptions are taken on board, and models are used extensively in the planning stage to help visualise the end result.
• A perfect smile does not mean perfect symmetry. As mentioned previously, the perception of beauty is closely linked to the harmony with nature. Often times asymmetry is purposely introduced to achieve a more naturally balanced outcome. And in order to deliver superior dentistry, clinicians must have the ability to see beyond their intuition and craft smiles based on the Basic Aesthetic Principles of nature.