In many ways, your consultation/evaluation is the most important phase of your experience with Eastlake Endodontics.   Prior to receiving any treatment, it is extremely valuable to you to understand if treatment is necessary, along with the risks, alternatives, and costs associated with various options.

Duration: 15-30 minutes

Ideally, consultation is provided in a separate visit and soon after a referral is made for treatment.   This is helpful for many reasons:

Triage of dental emergencies and prioritization for earlier appointments (perhaps on the same day, if available). By completing a preliminary evaluation, we are able to determine the probability of success of your treatment.  Should the likelihood of success be lower than is acceptable, we can properly work with your general dentist to revise your options and proceed with an alternative treatment plan that improves your dental health outlook (as well as financial investment). The choice to proceed with treatment is often one that should be considered without the pressure of an immediate decision.  A separate appointment takes the pressure off of proceeding until you are completely comfortable with the treatment plan. At your consultation, we will discuss the fees associated with treatment.  If applicable, this allows our finance experts to verify your dental insurance benefits and provide you with a treatment estimate prior to your treatment appointment.  This also gives you a little time to check on your finances and be prepared as payment is due at the time of service. With a preliminary evaluation already completed, often this approach facilitates single-visit therapy by allowing more time within an appointment dedicated to the treatment itself.

By spending 15-30 minutes in our office, you are able to do the following:

Complete (and review) your health record
Provide a pain history
Receive a traditional x-ray evaluation:
Your general dentist may provide us with your prior x-ray images electronically.  This is helpful as a historical record to justify the referral.
Most often we will also take our own so we have a current view and angle specifically for endodontic evaluation.
Image interpretation is included with the fees of those images that are acquired in our office.
Be evaluated via examination and testing to identify the source of pain or disease
Proceed with CBCT (3-D) x-ray evaluation, recommended for all endodontic procedures
Receive education on the disease process and how to best prevent it in the future
Review the recommended treatment and alternatives and relative risks of each
Have the opportunity to ask questions for clarification
Sign your informed consent forms
Review the fees, including verification of insurance benefits/limitations
Schedule whatever appointment(s) are necessary to complete the therapy

In our opinion, the current dental system places too much emphasis on treatment and undervalues the importance of proper evaluation, diagnosis, and informed consent.  After all, if the underlying causes of your problem are not completely understood and inappropriate treatment is performed, are you really better off?  We find that many misunderstandings and disappointments can be avoided when increased time and effort is taken prior to any treatment being performed.