OFFICE VISITS - NEW PATIENTS

Welcome aboard! We look forward to welcoming you to Venetian Pointe Family Dentistry! If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to tour our office and familiarize yourself with Dr. Richard C. Rampi, Dr. Justin E. Palmer, and Dr. Richard A. Rampi and meet “The Crew”.

At Venetian Pointe Dentistry, we will do our very best to assist you in “Guiding the Way to Better Oral Health”! We are committed to providing you and all members of your family with safe, gentle, and transformational dental care. We are sensitive to your needs, and it is our goal to make you feel comfortable when visiting our practice while we provide the highest quality of dental care possible.

Please review the following topics related to office visits.

Your Initial Visit

For most of you, time is a precious commodity. We will do our best to be timely when you visit our office, and we ask the same of you. Since time is important, it is possible that if you scheduled your initial visit for a check-up and cleaning, this will likely all be provided then (as opposed to performing an examination on the initial visit, then scheduling another day for the cleaning). 

IMPORTANT MEDICAL NOTE: If you are aware of the need to pre-medicate with an antibiotic (such as for a prosthetic joint replacement or artificial heart valves), please call the office prior to your initial visit to discuss this. Our phone number is (407) 352-6959. 

During a typical initial visit, we will begin by reviewing your medical and dental histories. We recommend you complete the required forms prior to this visit. They can be accessed by clicking here. If you arrive without having completed the necessary paperwork in advance, then please allow for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. 

Once your medical and dental histories have been reviewed, we will assess the need for X-rays and obtain whatever radiographs will be needed to complete your exam. It is recommended that we view your most recent radiographs from your previous dentist. 

To have these available for us, we suggest you contact that office prior to your initial visit and have them e-mail the radiographs to you. You, in turn, should e-mail them to our office. Unless radiographs are current, the typical radiographs obtained during the initial visit include at least a panoramic radiograph and bitewing X-rays. 

All radiographs at Venetian Pointe Dentistry are digital, which entails less radiation than the radiographs obtained using film. Also, we routinely use a lead apron with a thyroid collar for your protection. The digital radiographs are stored as .jpg files and can be treated accordingly. 

In addition to your history and radiographs, additional data is collected and recorded, which may include the following:

• Hard-tissue charting (which is a record of your existing restorations, missing teeth, or other conditions unique to your teeth, such as a fixed orthodontic retainer) 
• Periodontal charting (this is a measurement of the depths of the crevices between your teeth and gum tissue, gingival recession, loosening of your teeth, and other information that is used in examining for and the diagnosis of gum disease) 

• Oral cancer screening (which includes the examination of all soft tissues in the patient’s mouth and surrounding tissues) 
• Examination of your jaw joints (the temporomandibular joints or TMJs) and proper function 
• Examination of your occlusion (your “bite”) 
• Diagnostic tests as needed to determine if an inflamed or abscessed tooth is present (such as examination with cold, percussion or tapping, palpation, etc.). 

Once this data is collected, your oral health has been assessed and, unless contraindicated, the certified dental hygienist will clean your teeth as planned. The hygienist will scale below and above the gumline of your teeth, then polish your teeth.

Your initial visit is as important to us as it is to you. Please plan to allot 60 to 90 minutes to allow for a thorough and complete office visit. Bring your smile! Also, remember to bring your completed patient forms and insurance card.