Making an appointment for dental treatment can be a daunting task, especially if you're not sure what to expect. It's important to be informed about the procedure and the risks involved before making any decisions. Informed consent forms must be specific to the procedure, and should be completed after you and the patient have finished discussing the details. Dentists and periodontists offer treatments for gum disease, which is usually performed by a dental hygienist.
Tooth scraping and root smoothing are usually done during the same visit, but multiple appointments may be necessary to treat all of your teeth. Dental hygienists work in dental offices to scale and polish teeth, offer periodontal treatments, and provide advice on oral health. Depending on the type of care and treatment you want, you can go to a Health Service dentist with a fixed fee scale or pay a private dentist. The dentist should not evaluate you before accepting your treatment, as the evaluation is part of your treatment.
If you need emergency dental care due to COVID-19, contact your local dental office for advice. To find out more information about a particular type of dental treatment, check your state's dental office law or contact your state's dental association. Students perform an evaluation to diagnose the needs of each patient and develop a comprehensive treatment plan before starting treatment. Your office must have a complete and accurate medical and dental history for every new or active registered patient before making any diagnosis or treatment. As a patient in a private dental office, you can receive specialized treatment and pay for cosmetic dentistry that isn't available in the Health Service. At a minimum, the patient's medical record should contain an annotation indicating that the patient gave informed consent to continue with the recommended treatment or document that that consent was not granted or that the treatment was not performed.
Informed consent involving complex treatment should be obtained before the treatment appointment so that patients have time to consider all risks, benefits and alternatives. Appointments at predoctoral clinics take longer than in private dental offices because dental students tend to work at a slower pace and faculty dentists frequently check the progress of procedures to ensure high-quality care. Your dentist should finish your current treatment and provide you with any emergency treatment you need in the meantime.
