Your first visit should give us more than enough time to look at your teeth. It should give us time to understand you.
At Renaissance Family Dentistry in Durham, NC, we reserve 90 minutes for a new patient's first appointment. Our goal is to make it the most thorough dental examination you've ever received—while giving you plenty of time to ask questions, understand what we see, and get to know our team.
We'll gather a detailed picture of your oral health using a clinical examination, appropriate digital X-rays, intraoral photography, periodontal evaluation, and a 3D digital scan of your teeth. Whenever appropriate, we'll also complete your dental cleaning during the same visit.
More Than a Quick Look at Your Teeth
A comprehensive dental examination is about more than looking for cavities. We want to understand the health of your teeth and gums, your existing dental work, your bite, signs of tooth wear or grinding, and anything else that may affect your oral health over time.
Just as importantly, we want to understand your priorities. If something is bothering you, if you've had a difficult dental experience in the past, or if there is something you'd like to change about your smile, we want to know that before we start making recommendations.
Your First Visit, Step by Step
Your 90-minute new patient appointment is designed to give us time to be thorough without making the visit feel rushed. Depending on your individual needs, your visit may include:
- A conversation about you. We'll review your dental and medical history, discuss any concerns you have, and learn what you're hoping to accomplish with your dental care.
- Appropriate digital X-rays. Rather than taking the same images simply because you're a new patient, we'll determine which radiographs are appropriate based on your history, existing records, and individual needs.
- Intraoral photographs. A small dental camera allows us to photograph individual teeth and areas of concern. These images help us document your starting point—and, more importantly, let us show you exactly what we're seeing.
- A 3D digital scan of your teeth. Our intraoral scanner creates a detailed three-dimensional model of your mouth without traditional impression putty. You'll be able to see your own teeth in 3D, giving us another useful way to discuss tooth position, wear, bite, and changes we may want to monitor over time.
- A periodontal evaluation. Healthy teeth depend on healthy gums and supporting bone. We'll evaluate your periodontal health so we can determine what type of preventive or periodontal care is appropriate for you.
- A comprehensive examination. We'll evaluate your teeth, existing dental work, gums, bite, and other relevant areas of your oral health and bring together everything we've learned from your examination and diagnostic records.
- Your dental cleaning, when appropriate. For most new patients with healthy gums who need a routine preventive cleaning, our goal is to complete it during this same appointment. If your examination shows that you need a different type of periodontal treatment, we'll explain why and develop an appropriate plan rather than simply performing a routine cleaning that isn't right for you.
See What We See
We don't want your dental examination to feel like something happening around you while you wait for a verdict. Your X-rays, intraoral photographs, and 3D scan give us tools to show you what we're seeing rather than simply tell you about it.
We'll review relevant findings with you, explain what they mean, and answer your questions. If we recommend treatment, we'll explain why. If something is healthy or can simply be monitored, we'll tell you that too.
A Treatment Plan Built Around You
Our philosophy is simple: preserve what is healthy, prevent problems whenever possible, and treat what genuinely needs treatment. Not every imperfection needs to become a procedure.
When treatment would benefit you, we'll explain the options, benefits, tradeoffs, and our professional recommendation. Then the decision is yours. We believe good dentistry includes giving patients enough information to make informed decisions without pressure.
What If It's Been a While?
Dr. Bowers and our team believe that the most important step a person can take is the next one.
If you haven't been to a dentist in several years, you're still welcome here. Our job isn't to judge how long it's been—it's to understand where things stand today and help you decide what comes next.
We'll start with the same careful evaluation, explain what we find, prioritize anything that needs attention, and help you move forward at a pace that makes sense.
Ready for Your First Visit?
If you're looking for a dentist in Durham, North Carolina who takes the time to understand your oral health and explain your options clearly, we'd be happy to welcome you to Renaissance Family Dentistry.
Call us at (919) 544-7777 or schedule your new patient appointment online.