What to expect at your first visit
Pearl Dental Care always welcomes new patients. Unless you are coming in for an emergency, a typical new patient visit includes an updated set of x-rays and a comprehensive exam, along with a review of your medical history. Then you and your dentist talk through your goals and decide on a plan together.
What happens at a first visit?
The visit starts with getting to know you. The new patient exam is a chance for us to learn what your long-term goals for your oral health are, and to see where things stand today.
A comprehensive exam follows, along with a medical history review. If you are missing any teeth, have decay starting around a tooth, or have excessive wear or crooked teeth, we will suggest options to help your teeth last longer and improve your smile.
Our office is set up to be comfortable. The reception area has comfortable seating, and the treatment rooms are cleaned and disinfected from top to bottom between patients.
Can I fill out forms before I come in?
Yes. You can download the new patient form and fill it out at home. Bring it with you and your visit will be shorter.
You can also read about payment options and see what other patients have said.
Why are x-rays taken at the first visit?
As part of a new patient exam, we often take a set of digital x-rays to look at your bone and your teeth. The images are checked for areas of concern, and specifically for cavities, bone loss and infection. We also check the height of the gum support around your teeth to find any deeper pockets that would be hard to keep clean.
Digital x-rays give more detail and can be enlarged to look at a specific area closely. We can also email them when we work with local specialists. The biggest benefit is to patients, who receive 80 to 90 percent less radiation with digital x-rays than with the older kind.
What is the difference between a cleaning and a deep cleaning?
We offer basic teeth cleaning for routine care. If a patient smokes, has diabetes, drinks a lot of coffee, or is on certain medications, we may suggest more frequent cleanings. We may also suggest a deep cleaning if calculus has built up in places a toothbrush cannot reach.
A deep cleaning is also called scaling and root planing. It often requires the mouth to be numbed, so we can go deeper under the gums and remove hardened food particles stuck to the roots of the teeth. Those deposits do not come off with brushing or flossing.
What technology will I see?
We invest in tools that make care more precise and more comfortable.
- Magnification loupes, which let us see your teeth three times larger for more accuracy and detail
- Digital x-rays, with 80 to 90 percent less radiation than the older kind
- A Dandy digital scanner, so crown impressions are scanned instead of taken with a mouthful of impression material
- A 3D Vatech cone beam machine, a low dose CT scanner used for implants, orthodontics, root canals and oral surgery
- Air abrasion, which gently cleans out the grooves on top of the teeth without drilling or anesthetic when placing sealants or doing small fillings
Who will I see?
Dr. Najwa Jaamour at Pearl Dental Care earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 2011. She is an active member of the American Dental Association, the Chicago Dental Society and the Illinois State Dental Society. Her approach emphasizes preventive, conservative and minimally invasive treatment, with a focus on keeping your teeth healthy and working well for the long term.
To ask a question or book a visit, call Pearl Dental Care at (630) 810-9940 or visit us at 331 W 63rd St, Westmont, IL 60559.
This guide is educational only. Your dentist will tailor any plan at your visit.
Talk it through with us.
Call us or send a request, and we will find you a time.