What to
Expect During the Initial Consultation
Cosmetic Dentistry in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill, NC.
J. Steven Baker, DDS, LVIF
When you arrive for your first visit, you’ll be checking in at our front desk with a friendly team member. Although on this first visit we will give you a tour of our office and let you meet some of our staff, it is really a visit for your first comprehensive examination.
Dr. Baker will give you 30 minutes of uninterrupted time. He will listen to your goals and concerns and answer your questions. You will be able to look at digital X-rays, which are a faster way to see images than traditional X-rays. Digital radiography also exposes you to far less radiation. Dr. Baker will explain what these images tell him about your dental health.
He will also take digital photographs of your teeth and smile and again, this is a very quick way of obtaining images. You can study them with him, and he will explain what he sees going on in your mouth.
In planning your procedures, Dr. Baker will use a study model, based on impressions of your teeth, to demonstrate what improvements could be made.Oral Cancer Screening
Part of your dental exam will be an oral cancer screening. We use the ViziLite Plus technology to identify abnormal tissue that cannot be seen by the naked eye. It features a specially-designed light that picks out abnormalities in the gums or inside the cheeks, and is both painless and fast.
We will first give you a mouth rinse. Then as Dr. Baker shines the ViziLite light on your mouth, the healthy tissue will absorb that light and look dark. Any abnormal tissue will not absorb it and will look white.
Cosmetic Dentistry and Good Dental Health
Dr. Baker will be looking at your overall dental health. A beautiful smile rests on a foundation of excellent health and good dental function. For example, if your gums are sore or reddened, a gum treatment would be advisable early on. Dr. Baker will listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and make suggestions as to the best way to accomplish your goals.
If you are interested in cosmetic enhancements to your smile, Dr. Baker will recommend some procedures based on what he has found in your dental exam. He will work with you in reaching a decision and you can study Before and After photos for each procedure, to get more of an idea of how each one could improve your smile. Sometimes a person asks for a complete smile makeover and we can certainly provide that. Or perhaps just one procedure will be all you need, such as teeth whitening.
A Visit Without Any Exam?
If you would like to visit our office without having the dental examination, we would be happy to give you an office tour and have a “meet and greet” with Dr. Baker and our staff. It would give you a sense of how our practice operates and how we all work as a team for our patients’ benefit. You could learn about cosmetic dentistry procedures like porcelain veneers and porcelain fillings by looking at Before and After photos.
Whether you would like to schedule a visit with a dental exam or without one, the next step would be to call or email our cosmetic dentistry office. We will be happy to fit it into your schedule and we look forward to meeting with you.
