If you’ve never had a consultation with an oral surgeon before, you may not know what to expect. That unfamiliarity can cause anxiety. But there’s really no cause for worrying about your first appointment, and when you are prepared for the process, it can put your mind at ease.
You should bring your referral slip to the first appointment with your oral surgeon, as this information is important in the treatment planning process. It will indicate the specific nature of your problem and possible treatment options to consider, such as the placement of dental implants at the site of tooth loss or corrective jaw surgery to address a malocclusion.
Your oral surgeon will then gather additional information needed to develop the treatment plan. This likely will involve a visual examination of your teeth and jaws along with x-rays to get a better view of the proposed surgical site. For example, if a patient has been referred for wisdom teeth removal, the surgeon will need to see how the wisdom teeth are impacted in order to plan for their extraction. If your dentist took x-rays previously, please bring those to the consultation so that the surgeon can review them.
Patients also may discuss their sedation options, as well as other pre-operative considerations, with the surgeon at the initial consultation. Be sure to bring a notebook to jot down any pieces of information that you will want to remember later.
We also ask that patients bring their insurance information to the consultation. This will allow our financial coordinator to determine your coverage as early as possible so that you will be aware of your financial responsibility for the procedure.
An oral surgery consultation should not cause a patient any discomfort, and if you are well-prepared for the appointment, the treatment process will get off to a smooth start. If you have any questions about your consultation, please feel free to call Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery and speak to one of our experienced staff members to get the information you need.
