What to Expect

Prepare your medicine list, information about your health and any previous dental records. Write down your concerns and what you hope treatment will address. During the discussion, ask about the diagnosis, your options and what each option would mean for you.

A dentist examines you in person before your plan is final.

This page covers preparing for your first appointment and deciding on treatment. For an overview of the process, see your treatment journey.

Prepare a short list before your appointment:

• Your medicines: Write down the names, doses and usual schedule of all your medicines, including blood thinners. Include supplements. Do not stop or change any medicine on your own; if a change may be needed, your dentist can ask you to check with the doctor who prescribed it.
• Your health: Explain your diagnosed conditions, previous operations and ongoing treatment. Say if you are or might be pregnant; the X-ray guidance recommends offering the option of delaying non-urgent X-rays¹.
• Allergies and earlier problems: Mention known allergies. Describe any problems with medicines, anaesthesia or previous dental treatment.
• Previous records: Bring any X-rays, reports and treatment summaries you have. Include the dates the images were taken.
• Your concerns and goals: Note where you have a problem and how long it has been present. Explain your expectations about chewing, appearance or care. Mention your worries and any support you need to follow the discussion.

Dental radiography selection guidance advises dentists to seek originals or copies of relevant X-rays taken elsewhere¹. If you do not have your records, say so and describe your earlier treatment as far as you remember.

Prepare for your first discussion around these points:

• Your concerns and health history: Share the information you have prepared. Explain which problem you most want addressed.
• An examination in person: Ask what is being assessed about your teeth, gums and oral tissues. Say if you feel uncomfortable or want a pause.
• Further assessment: If an X-ray or scan is proposed, ask which question it is meant to answer.
• Explaining the findings: Ask what the diagnosis is and which findings support it. Ask the dentist to explain anything that remains uncertain.

Turkey's patient rights regulation says information about an intervention is given orally, in understandable language, by the healthcare professional who will carry it out². Ask for unfamiliar terms to be explained again. Use this page to prepare for the discussion, and ask your dentist for your individual assessment.

The American Dental Association's imaging recommendations say imaging is selected after a clinical examination, according to individual need³. Ask which image is proposed, why, and how it could affect your plan.

Dental X-rays help assess decay, gum disease affecting the bone and problems at the tip of a root¹. The guidance says intraoral X-rays are better than panoramic X-rays for diagnosing these problems¹. X-ray exposure involves a risk to the patient¹, so each image should have a reason. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) produces three-dimensional images of jaw and facial structures³. If a CBCT scan is proposed, ask why it is needed and what information it will provide.

Ask whether your earlier images can be used in the new assessment. The selection guidance calls for preventing unnecessary repeat examinations and duplication of earlier images¹.

If the word "scan" is used, ask whether it means an intraoral scan or a CBCT scan. If an intraoral scan is proposed, ask what it will record, why it is requested and where it fits into the plan. Ask which method would be used for this.

Turkey's patient rights regulation provides for information about the causes and course of the condition, who will carry out the intervention and how, its estimated duration, other options, benefits, risks and possible complications². Ask for this information to be explained in relation to your own situation.

The FDI World Dental Federation's professional ethics guidance recommends explaining the diagnosis, the benefits and risks of treatment or no treatment, and future related treatment that may be needed⁴.

Clarify these points:

• What is the diagnosis? What is the aim of treatment?
• What options are available? Is no treatment or monitoring an option?
• What are the benefits, risks and limits of each option?
• What might happen if I wait? When would reassessment be needed?
• What stages are proposed? Which findings could change the plan?
• What care and reviews would be needed afterwards?

If less treatment could meet your needs, we tell you.

For crowns and veneers, you see the planned shape before they are finished and can ask for changes. To prepare for a discussion of these options, see our page crown or veneer?

For planned treatment, your consent is required². FDI's professional ethics guidance includes dialogue and reflection time for complex or elective procedures⁴ in the consent process. Ask your questions. Say if you need time to decide, and ask what waiting could mean in your situation.

In private dental facilities, a consent form is required for every intervention⁵. Read the form and ask about anything you do not understand. Request your signed copy and a written summary of your plan.

You can say no, or ask to stop, at any stage. Treatment that is compulsory by law is an exception.² The regulation provides for the consequences of refusal to be explained and recorded in writing².

On request, you can be told the identity, role and title of the dentist treating you². You can also examine your health file and records and obtain a copy². Request copies of your X-rays, reports and treatment records. Ask how another dentist can open the files.

Keep your questions with you. Note the answers and request a written summary of the plan:

• Which findings support this diagnosis? What remains uncertain?
• Why is this treatment proposed? Could less treatment meet my needs?
• What are the alternatives, including no treatment?
• What are the main risks and possible complications for me?
• What might happen if I wait? How much thinking time can we allow?
• Which question will the X-ray or scan answer? Can my earlier images be used?
• Who will carry out treatment? At which stages will I need to decide again?
• If the plan changes, how will we discuss and record that in writing?
• What should I do afterwards? Who should I contact if I have a problem, and how?
• How can I obtain copies of my plan, consent form and health records?

Before deciding, ask for the stages and their order in writing. Ask when checks would take place, when reassessment would be needed and what could change the plan. To prepare for this discussion, read the treatment timeline page.

Before treatment starts, also discuss care instructions and how to seek help if a problem arises. Request written instructions for your own treatment. Use the aftercare page to prepare your questions.

What should I bring to my first appointment?

Prepare your medicine list and information about your health and allergies. Bring any earlier X-rays, reports and treatment summaries. Write down your symptoms, worries and goals.

Should I mention that I take blood thinners?

Discuss all your medicines, and specifically mention the blood thinner's name, dose and usual schedule. Do not stop or change any medicine on your own; if a change may be needed, your dentist can ask you to check with the doctor who prescribed it.

Will I have an X-ray at my first appointment?

Imaging is selected after an examination, according to individual need. Ask which image is proposed, why, and whether your earlier images can be used.

Can I ask for time to decide on treatment?

Say if you need time to think. Discuss the options, no treatment and what waiting could mean in your situation. Ask for anything you do not understand to be explained again.

Can I refuse treatment or ask to stop?

You can refuse treatment or ask to stop, except where treatment is legally compulsory. Discuss the possible consequences with your dentist.

Can I obtain copies of my records?

You can examine your health file and records and obtain a copy. Request your X-rays, reports and treatment records. Also ask for a written summary of your plan and your signed consent form.