Dentist Near Christiansburg

What to expect at your first appointment

At your first visit, you can expect us to perform an oral exam to look for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, or oral cancer. We will take x-rays of your mouth to form an overall picture of your current oral health. 

This can reveal issues below the surface that cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as tooth decay, an infection, or bone loss. After your first visit, x-rays will only need to be taken routinely every few years.

After this, we will perform a dental cleaning to remove food particles and plaque buildup in the mouth. If plaque has hardened into tartar, this needs to be removed at the dentist since it cannot be removed at home and can cause gum disease. 

After scaling, flossing, and polishing your teeth, we will apply a fluoride varnish to your teeth to provide additional protection against cavities until your next routine appointment in 6 months from now. If we detect any oral health problems like cavities or gum disease, we will need to schedule follow-up appointments to treat these problems.

If this is your child’s first appointment, we can also help educate you and your child about teething, proper nutrition, how to prevent cavities, wean them off of pacifiers, baby bottles, and thumb sucking, and when to screen them for orthodontic problems. Children should see the dentist by the time they turn one or receive their first tooth.