Getting Started on Your Dental "Project Plan"
Last week, we talked about the two most important aspects to achieving oral and dental wellness and getting a great smile--i.e., finding the right dentist and getting a personalized treatment plan. This week, we begin our discussion about the detailed steps to take and the alternatives you face on your journey.
A good treatment plan will include the various procedures you require to reach your goals, and can be viewed as your own personal project plan to wellness and health. The plan will include all the steps, dates for the various procedures, and estimated fees. It also maximizes the benefits afforded by your insurance plan. But the plan will likely include various procedures and may lead to you wondering "where should you start?"
Here is what you need to know:
The first four tasks every program should begin with should start on your very first visit, and should include:
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A thorough dental exam, including an examination for oral cancer, gum diseases, tooth decay, and any other dental problems you may have.
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Agreement on your personalized treatment plan.
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A thorough cleaning to remove plaque build-up.
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Reminders for you and your family to incorporate for every day maintenance.
We suggest the above tasks first because it is important to immediately identify your current state of health, get a plan in place for going forward, and get a good cleaning to remove any plaque build-up. And of course, the reminders that you can take home to keep you on a good maintenance program serve to keep you committed to your plan.
Once the above steps are accomplished, the next steps fall into general categories, including:
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Procedures to treat existing disease and decay--these may include periodontal treatments, cavity and root canal treatments, wisdom teeth removal, and other procedures to take care of existing issues. These procedures should be scheduled and performed as soon as possible.
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Quick, short-term procedures to improve your cosmetic appearance--these may include teeth whitening and veneers. These procedures can provide an immediate improvement in your smile and appearance, and give you positive reinforcement on the importance of caring for your dental needs.
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Medium-term procedures to improve the structure and appearance of your smile and teeth alignment--aside from a more beautiful smile, invisible braces and other procedures can address issues such as TMJ, teeth grinding, sleep apnea and snoring, and other structural problems that can affect your quality of life.
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More extensive procedures that allow you to transform your smile--procedures such as dental implants (which may also be needed for health issues), crowns and bridges, and "All on 4" smile enhancement can totally transform your smile, and provide you with a solid dental structure for chewing and eating, public speaking, and interpersonal relationships. Such procedures are having impacts on the lives of many, and are certainly worth investigating.
We will be looking at many of these procedures in greater detail over the following weeks, but as a general rule, it is best to first deal with any health issues, and then address short- and medium-term procedures that give you immediate benefit. Depending on your budget, you may wish to either have the longer-term procedures done sooner because you can afford them, or stretch them out over time so you can budget for them.
Over the next few weeks, we will be discussing many of these procedures in detail, to give you an understanding of what they are, the benefits they offer, the costs, and the amount of time required.
Have any suggestions for what you'd like to see us write about? Place your comments and suggestions in the comments section.
Categories: Oral and Dental Wellness
Tags: getting started Treatment plan oral and dental wellness
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