The prospect of meeting with an oral surgeon for the first time can be intimidating, especially if the patient has not undergone any dental surgeries before. Knowing what to expect from this initial appointment can ease a patient’s nerves a bit, so here is an overview of what happens at the initial consultation.
We ask you to bring certain documentation with you to this initial visit to our office, including your insurance card and the referral form provided by your dentist that indicates the specific procedure you need, such as wisdom teeth extraction. You should also bring along any x-rays that were already taken by a different provider (or request for them to be sent electronically) so that the oral surgeon can avoid re-doing imaging unnecessarily.
Your first appointment is primarily intended to give the oral surgeon the opportunity to evaluate your case to begin planning the appropriate treatment. The surgeon will visually examine your jaw and may take additional x-rays or order other imaging, such as CT scans, if necessary to gather all of the information needed for the treatment plan.
The surgeon may also give you a general overview of the recommended treatment at this session. You will also get a chance to ask any questions you may have in order to make your treatment decision. If there will be no other appointments prior to the surgery, you may also leave the office with a detailed list of pre-operative and post-operative instructions. We ask that you closely follow these in order to minimize your risk of complications.
If you’re worried that the initial consultation might result in pain for you, we’d like to put that notion to rest. No aspect of this appointment should create new discomfort for you. If there is concern that the examination may trigger some existing discomfort, let us know in advance and we can plan for your comfort.
Do you have more questions about your initial consultation for wisdom teeth extraction or some other dental surgery? Call our office to get any additional information that you may need.
