(07) 3343 2100Your first dental visit
Welcome to Central Dental – we can’t wait to meet you!
Going anywhere new can be daunting, especially the dentist!
So to help reduce any fear or anxiety you might have about your first visit we want to tell you what happens at your first visit.
What happens during my first dental visit?
The first step is finding your way to our practice. There is on street parking along Logan road and there is also free offstreet parking which you can access via Gowrie Street. Busses 174 and 175 also come along Logan Road so are convenient for reaching us. We recommend you review how to find us before the day of your appointment to help to reduce any stress – and don’t forget you can always give us a call and we will give you detailed instructions on how to find us. .
Upon arrival you will meet Elizabeth, Madison or Lee from our patient care team. You have probably already met one of them over the phone or online when you made your appointment!
As a new patient there is the normal amount of medical paperwork to fill in when you arrive so it is a great idea to try to arrive 10 minutes before your appointment. If you would like to review our medical forms we can easily email these to you before your appointment if you like, just ask us.
Please bring in any concession cards, health insurance cards and your medicare card to your appointment. We also like to be aware of any medications you are on, or conditions that you might be being treated for so make sure you bring these details too.
Your first dental visit
Once you get to the dental chair you will have a discussion with the dentist and we will go over the reason for your visit with you, asking you about any pain or symptoms that you might be experiencing. We will then explain what will happen in your appointment before taking a look in your mouth.
Depending upon your situation we may need to do Digital X-Rays. We usually take X-Rays at your first visit and then every 2 years after than (unless you have a particular condition that requires them more often).
Then we discuss with you anything that we have found through the exam and in the XRays and discuss next steps with you. This might be taking steps to get you out of pain, or you might just need a professional dental scale and clean. You will be informed and are able to ask questions before any treatment goes ahead.
In the cases that require lengthy or multiple treatments we will usually devise a treatment plan with you to prioritise and schedule out any recommended treatments.
There is always the time and opportunity for you to ask questions along the way. Best of all if you get home and remember something you forgot to ask you can just email us and we are more than happy to answer your questions.
It is important to us that you feel fully aware and happy with what we are planning for your dental health.
After you step out of the chair
Once you have finished in the chair you will return to our patient care team at the front desk. They will take care of your health fund rebate and payment. They will also help to book any future appointments. We will give you our card so that if you experience any unexpected discomfort or think of any questions you are always able to contact us after your appointment.
Central Dental is here to help
Every member of our team is working to make sure your first and every visit to see us is smooth and comfortable. Call us on 3343 2100 to discuss your situation, or chat to us online, or email us. Alternatively if you already know you would like to book your appointment then you can do this online anytime.
Dr Nick Defteros graduated from the University of Queensland Dental School in 1985. He has owned and operated Central Dental since then and has vast amount of experience in general practice dentistry.
