First Dental Examination: What Happens at Your First Appointment?

The first question is usually why you are visiting the practice.

For example, this may be:

• a routine check-up,
• toothache,
• a broken filling,
• bleeding gums,
• a request for a second opinion,
• problems with existing dental restorations,
• interest in aesthetic treatment,
• or a specific question about implants, whitening or another treatment.

It is also important to know which dental treatments you have previously received and whether you currently have any symptoms.

The focus of the appointment follows from this information.

Dentistry does not take place independently of general health.

Certain illnesses and medications can, for example, be relevant to:

• bleeding risks,
• wound healing,
• bone metabolism,
• infection risks,
• dry mouth,
• possible medication interactions,
• or planning surgical procedures.

Information about pre-existing conditions and regularly taken medication can therefore be important for treatment planning.

If you take several medications, an up-to-date medication list can be helpful.

Medication should not be changed or stopped on your own because of a dental appointment.

A comprehensive dental examination is used to identify disease or treatment needs in the teeth, mouth and jaw region.

Depending on the reason for the visit, this may include assessment of:

• the teeth,
• existing fillings, crowns or bridges,
• the gums,
• oral mucosa,
• tongue,
• bite and chewing situation,
• unusual areas in the mouth,
• and, where necessary, adjacent structures outside the oral cavity.

The German Dental Association describes a comprehensive examination as an intraoral and extraoral examination used to identify disease in the dental, oral and maxillofacial region.

This does not mean that the same individual tests are performed for every patient.

During a general check-up or new-patient examination, an orienting overview of the condition of the teeth and mouth is obtained.

This can reveal, for example:

• possible carious defects,
• damaged or leaking restorations,
• worn or fractured teeth,
• unusual tooth positions,
• changes in the gums,
• problems with existing dental restorations,
• or areas requiring closer examination.

If you attend because of an acute problem with one particular tooth, the examination may initially focus more strongly on that issue.

Even then, it may be medically appropriate to include adjacent or other structures in the assessment.

Yes. The gums are part of dental assessment.

How detailed the periodontal examination needs to be depends on the findings and the reason for treatment.

If there are indications of possible periodontitis, further investigation may be necessary, such as structured measurement of periodontal pockets and assessment of signs of inflammation.

Such detailed periodontal diagnostics are not the same as the general orienting findings obtained at a first examination.

More about periodontitis

A general dental examination does not involve the teeth alone.

The oral mucosa and other visible areas of the mouth can also be assessed.

This matters because changes in the mouth do not always originate from a tooth.

Unusual, persistent or unclear mucosal changes may require further investigation.

A dental appointment is therefore not solely about looking for “cavities”.

No.

An X-ray is not necessary simply because a patient is attending a particular practice for the first time.

Whether radiographic diagnostics are appropriate depends on the specific medical question.

Factors that may be considered include:

• which symptoms are present,
• what is found during the clinical examination,
• which previous images already exist,
• how current and informative they are,
• and which treatment is being planned.

Depending on the situation, a small periapical image, another 2D radiograph or, in selected cases, a three-dimensional examination may be appropriate.

Radiography is therefore additional diagnostic imaging used according to indication, not a compulsory part of every first appointment.

Not routinely.

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT; DVT in German) produces three-dimensional X-ray data and involves ionising radiation.

It is used only when a justified medical indication exists for a specific question and the additional 3D information is required.

This may, for example, be relevant to selected complex implant or endodontic questions.

A normal first visit alone is not an indication for CBCT.

More about CBCT and 3D X-rays

Existing recent images can be helpful.

Whether they are sufficient for the current question depends, among other things, on:

• the region imaged,
• the age of the images,
• image quality,
• and what is being examined or planned now.

If you have recent relevant records from another practice, you can ask when arranging your appointment whether and in what form they should be sent in advance or brought to the appointment.

Existing images do not automatically replace a new examination, but they can help avoid unnecessary repeat imaging.

A finding does not automatically mean treatment must begin immediately.

The next step is to clarify:

• What was found?
• How urgent is treatment?
• Are there several reasonable options?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of those options?
• Are further investigations required?
• What costs may arise?

Particularly before larger treatments, the decision should not be made under time pressure.

The KZBV emphasises that for more extensive treatment, alternatives, advantages and disadvantages and costs should be discussed in an understandable way.

That depends on the reason for the appointment.

With acute symptoms, a necessary short-term measure may take priority.

For planned treatment, it may be more appropriate to complete diagnostics and consultation first and then arrange a separate treatment appointment.

The statement:

“Treatment is always carried out immediately at the first appointment”

would therefore be just as incorrect as:

“No treatment is ever carried out at the first appointment.”

The actual sequence depends on the findings, urgency, treatment time required and appointment planning.

No.

Professional teeth cleaning is a separate preventive service.

Whether it is medically or preventively appropriate and whether it is scheduled depends on the individual's oral situation and the type of appointment booked.

A new patient should therefore not assume that a general first examination automatically includes a complete professional teeth cleaning.

If you specifically want professional teeth cleaning, you can mention this when arranging the appointment.

More about professional teeth cleaning

Depending on the reason for your visit, the following may be helpful:

• health insurance card or insurance information,
• an up-to-date medication list,
• information about relevant illnesses or allergies,
• any recent existing X-rays or clinical records,
• treatment and cost plans if you are seeking a second opinion,
• information about previous treatment,
• and, if you have removable dentures, the relevant prosthesis.

Not every patient needs all of these documents.

If you are unsure, you can ask when arranging the appointment what is useful for your particular visit.

If you would like an existing treatment recommendation reviewed, available records are particularly useful.

These can include:

• current clinical findings,
• X-rays,
• treatment and cost plan,
• material or implant passport if available,
• and information about treatment that has already started.

A reliable second opinion should nevertheless be based on an independent clinical assessment.

The new practice does not automatically adopt every assumption in an existing treatment plan.

You can mention this when arranging your appointment.

There is no need to try to “get through” as many treatment steps as possible at the first visit.

At the practice, possible approaches for patients with dental anxiety include:

• an initial discussion,
• an agreed stop signal,
• breaks,
• and, where appropriate, shorter or staged appointments.

Which treatment is subsequently appropriate continues to be determined by the dental findings.

More about dental anxiety

If a companion makes you feel more secure or helps with communication and organisation, this can be useful.

During medical discussions, however, the patient remains the central person involved.

Information about findings and treatment cannot automatically be shared with accompanying persons without appropriate consent.

If you have particular support needs, this can be discussed when arranging the appointment.

Patient communication and appointment scheduling at the practice are supported in:

• German,
• English,
• French,
• Spanish,
• Turkish.

The AI telephone assistant can also support appointment scheduling in these five languages.

Language support does not mean that every complex medical discussion is available at all times from the same person in all five languages.

There are several ways to request or arrange an appointment:

• using the online appointment form,
• by phone on +49 201 48682900,
• or by requesting a callback.

If you are attending because of a particular problem, you can mention it briefly when making the request so that the appropriate type of appointment can be allocated more accurately.

Detailed information about opening hours, directions and contact options is available on the contact page .

Dr. med. dent. J. Hayim M.Sc. Rüttenscheider Str. 194–196 45131 Essen-Rüttenscheid

Two patient parking spaces are available in the courtyard.

The practice is wheelchair accessible via a lift.

The Florastr. stop is nearby.

More about the practice

This page deliberately does not state a fixed number of minutes.

The time required depends on:

• why you are attending,
• how extensive your medical and dental history is,
• which findings need to be recorded,
• whether additional diagnostics are necessary,
• and how much consultation is required.

An acute problem affecting one tooth may follow a different pathway from a complex second opinion or extensive restorative treatment planning.

A fixed statement such as “a first appointment always takes X minutes” would therefore not be reliable.

That depends entirely on the findings.

The practice offers different areas of general, restorative, aesthetic, periodontal, endodontic and implant dentistry.

The purpose of a first examination should not, however, be to offer as many services as possible.

The appropriate approach is to derive the medically relevant next steps from the actual findings and to explain any reasonable alternatives clearly.

An overview is available under Treatments .

For planned, non-urgent treatment, generally not.

You should understand:

• what was found,
• why treatment is being recommended,
• which alternatives exist,
• which key advantages and disadvantages should be considered,
• and what costs may arise.

German patient-rights law provides for duties to inform patients and obtain consent before medical treatment.

For larger planned decisions, it can therefore be appropriate to take the information away and make the decision afterwards without time pressure.

The first dental appointment is primarily used to understand the reason for your visit, establish findings and determine the next appropriate steps.

This can typically include:

• discussion of symptoms and history,
• information about illnesses and medications,
• clinical examination of the teeth, gums and oral cavity,
• assessment of existing restorations or dental prostheses,
• additional diagnostics only when there is an appropriate question,
• discussion of the findings,
• and, where necessary, planning further treatment.

Important points:

• There is no identical first-examination programme for every patient.
• X-rays and CBCT are not automatically part of the first appointment.
• Professional teeth cleaning is a separate service and is not automatically included.
• Immediate treatment may be necessary in acute situations, while planned treatment can be scheduled separately.
• Larger treatment decisions should be made after understandable information about the findings, alternatives and costs.

At the practice, appointments can be requested using the online appointment form, arranged by telephone or initiated through a callback request.

Further information:

Contact & appointment Our practice Treatments

The medical information in this article is based on current patient and professional information from the German Dental Association (BZÄK) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists (KZBV).

The BZÄK describes a comprehensive dental examination as an intraoral and extraoral assessment for detecting diseases of the dental, oral and maxillofacial region. The KZBV emphasises examination of the teeth, gums and oral cavity and, for more extensive treatment, understandable counselling about options, advantages and disadvantages and costs.

The specific information about appointment arrangements, languages, address and accessibility at the practice comes exclusively from the project's FINAL/LOCKED practice and contact data.

Editorial review date: 10 August 2026. Which examination steps are required at an individual first appointment depends on the reason for attendance, the findings and the medical question.