What will happen on seeing a dentist?
- Check-up: Firstly, the dentist will get your information on the medical history to understand your general health condition. On oral examination, the dentist will use dental probes and mouth mirror to assess oral conditions. Information like the number of teeth in the mouth, the presence of tooth fillings, number of teeth lost, gum health, etc., will be recorded down. Besides, any oral diseases or abnormalities will be identified. If needed, other investigations like taking radiographs, pulp test (check vitality of a tooth), taking impressions, etc., will also be performed.
- Receive dental treatments: The dentist will explain to you on the oral health condition, discuss with you on the treatments required and carry out dental treatments with your consent.
- Follow up: The scheduled appointments arranged by the dental clinic should be followed, such that the dentist may monitor the progress, especially for patients with severe gum disease and wearing dentures. Besides, regular dental check-up is very important to keep good oral health.
Where can I find a dentist?
There are more than 2000 registered dentists in Hong Kong. They are assessed and recognized by the Hong Kong Dental Council. Among them, most are in private practice. The list of registered dentists and their clinic addresses can be found on the website of the Hong Kong Dental Council which is 'https://www.dchk.org.hk/tc/list/list.htm'.
What can the dentist help me?
A dentist will check and record your oral health condition, provide a treatment plan for you. Besides treating oral diseases, a dentist may also provide suitable oral care advices to you to improve your tooth cleaning method, and provide other relevant advices to you to improve oral health and prevent oral diseases like dietary habits or quitting smoking, taking care of your oral health holistically.
The decision on the choice of treatment and its procedures should be made according to the clinical diagnosis, the patient's factor and the patient's preference. The dental treatment procedures described here are according to general situations only. The treatment procedures may be different for different people according to their clinical situations.
