First Visit

Our office goes above and beyond to make your first visit to Sterling Smiles of Azle as smooth and painless as possible. Before your first visit, our office will make sure to obtain important background information, like your medical and dental history. Your new visit will then include –

Panoramic X-ray: This image gives us a good view of all the soft and hard tissue of your oral cavity. It takes less than one minute to complete and greatly reduces the amount of radiation to which our patients are exposed.

Bitewing X-rays: To compliment the panoramic X-ray, we get a set of bitewing, or “cavity detection” X-rays that allow the doctors to see in between your back teeth. This is one of the most common spots for cavities to develop. Bitewing X-rays are composed of two X-rays on each side of the mouth.

Complete full-mouth charting: A vital component of checking and monitoring gum disease and overall oral health is measuring “attachment loss”. We want to be sure that your teeth have the appropriate bone and tissue support to allow for proper oral and systemic health. The dentist will take measurements for each tooth while an assistant will record them in your file.

Comprehensive oral examination: Our dentist will analyze the gathered information and perform an oral exam to get an accurate picture of your health. The dentist will then discuss the findings with you and move ahead to assess if any further treatment is suggested before the next cleaning. The dentist will also address any questions or concerns you may have.

Thorough dental cleaning: The dentist will finish the visit by scaling and polishing your teeth. If it has been a while since your last dental visit, a more intensive cleaning may be needed.

The dentist will determine this and discuss your options with you if more advanced work is required. Once the cleaning is done, we will schedule your next visit and have you on your way!