General Exams/New Patient Exams

• Overview: General Exams are an opportunity for your dentist to check the general oral health of the patient by noting missing teeth, any existing problems that need to be treated, and any restorations that have been done by previous dentists. They'll usually check the patient's gums for pockets (that's when they read all those numbers, like "2, 3, 4.. 3, 3,3... etc.". They're just reading off the number of mm their perio probe can be inserted on the mesial/distal and lingual/buccal surfaces of the tooth. If it's too deep (like 5+ mm) then the patient usually has some sort of gum problems, and will get SRP.
• Instruments: mirror & explorer, perio probe
• You: Usually just help with general charting (taking note of all the missing teeth, previous restorations, things that need to be fixed, etc.) and perio charting, whether on paper or on the computer.