When you arrive for your initial visit, we will give you a tour of our office and seat you in one of our luxurious exam rooms with a beautiful view of the Hollywood Hills. We will then take any necessary digital x-rays, your blood pressure, and your photo. At some point in your visit, we would like you to meet each of our 3 doctors, Dr. Frawley, Dr. Michele, and Dr. Shawn. They want to say hello and welcome you to the practice. The 3 doctors work as a team and each provides his/ her unique knowledge so that you get the benefit of all of their combined experience. Your primary doctor will perform a comprehensive exam. He or she will begin by reviewing your past medical and dental history and note any concerns or questions you may have. There is a big connection between the mouth and the rest of the body, so it’s important to assess both your medical and dental conditions. We then perform a head and neck exam, oral cancer screening, and TMJ (jaw joint) evaluation. Your periodontal or gum condition is assessed and full mouth pocket probing is charted, which help us determine the health of your gums. Next, your teeth will be examined. We check all old dental restorations and look for cavities. We will take intra-oral photos as well, so you can see your teeth and any dental conditions close up. We will correlate any findings on your x-rays to our clinical findings in your mouth. Any conditions such as grinding, clenching, snoring, or acid reflux will also be reviewed. We will perform an esthetic evaluation: we review your photo with you and determine together if you are happy with your smile or if you would like to make any changes. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about enhancing the color, shape, alignment, and/or overall look and feel of your smile and your teeth. When you are happy, we are happy. At this point, we will put all this information together and discuss our findings with you. We utilize patient education videos to highlight topics that are relevant to your needs and interests. We will go over various options to address our findings and focus on your concerns and questions, none of which are insignificant. If you’re thinking it, let’s talk about it! At the end of the comprehensive exam appointment, we will come up with a plan together that best suits your needs. You are the most important part of this process. It is our job to let you know what the most effective treatment will be, as well as several alternative options. In the end, it is always your decision. It is important to us that we are on the same page as you and that you never feel pressured into anything. After our discussion and all your questions are answered, one of our treatment plan coordinators will discuss fees, insurance benefits, and payment options.
