At Dr. Yolanda Cruz Dentistry, we welcome new patients to our Toronto dental office. Our friendly staff is dedicated to caring for you and your entire family’s oral health and well-being. Our Toronto dentist provides a comprehensive new patient exam and consultation to assess your dental health and create a customized treatment plan for you. To understand what to expect from your first visit to our practice, please read through this page. You’ll find all the practical information you need. For more details, contact us at our Downtown office 416-595-5490

Dental Exam

A clinical exam is more commonly referred to as a routine check up. A new patient exam lets Dr. Yolanda Cruz evaluate the overall health of your mouth and teeth and diagnose any potential problems you may have.

A. The first thing Dr. Cruz will visually examine is your face and neck. She will look for any abnormalities, such as lumps, bumps or swelling.

B. Checking inside your mouth is next on the agenda. During this part of the check up, Dr. Cruz will be looking for any abnormalities in the soft tissue, such as discolorations or ulcers on your lips, gums, tongue, palate and cheeks. She will also perform an oral cancer screening and will check your bite and your jaw joint for any problems.

C. Dr. Cruz will then examine your gums and jawbone, looking for any signs of gingivitis, gum disease and bone disease.

D. Checking your teeth comes next. Dr. Cruz will be looking for cavities and other problems. Finally, your Toronto dentist will address any specific  areas where you may have symptoms or concerns.

X-rays

A clinical exam by itself is not sufficient to completely diagnose all potential problems with your mouth. In fact, the majority of problems with your teeth and the jawbone are not visible to the naked eye. That is why periodic X-rays play a key role in allowing Dr. Cruz to take a more accurate look at what is really going on inside your mouth and below your teeth and gums. By using X-rays, Dr. Cruz can check for hidden tooth decay, check for bone loss and determine the severity of gum disease.

Along with identifying any problems that were not visible during the clinical exam, these initial X-rays will also provide your dentist with a benchmark with which to compare against during your future visits.