Information For New Patients – What To Expect During Your First Visit

Registration

As Specialist Dental Group has three clinics at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, please register at the correct unit, either #08-03, #08-08 or #08-10. Our staff will confirm via phone call or email, the specialist that you will be seeing and the unit that you should register at. If you need further clarification, please do not hesitate to call our front desk at (65) 6734 9393.

We suggest that patients should come in 15 minutes earlier to register. Please bring along your identification card/passport to your appointment.

Once you arrive in the clinic, please approach the front desk to inform our staff about your arrival. You will need to fill in the registration form with your contact details as well as medical history for our records. All the information provided is kept confidential.

Waiting Room

While waiting for your consultation and radiograph to be taken, please feel free to browse through our selection of magazines and newspaper, watch television or read our dental articles.

For those of you with smartphone or notebook computers, we also have free wi-fi access for you to check your email or surf the internet while waiting to see the dentist.

Consultation with our Dental Specialist(s)

Our nurse will lead you to the consultation/treatment room to meet our dental specialist(s).

One of the benefits to patients of seeing a dental specialist at our clinic is the ability to access different types of specialists with one visit. Thus, depending on your dental needs and prior appointment booking, you may be able to consult with more than one type of specialist during the same visit.

Our specialist will recommend the best treatment options for your dental condition after the diagnosis. If you are comfortable with the proposed treatment plan, depending on the procedure involved, most treatments can be started at the same visit.

Taking of radiographs (x-rays)

If this is your first time visiting the clinic, we usually recommend that you have a digital radiograph (x-ray) taken to enable a thorough and detailed diagnosis. An x-ray offers approximately 60% more information when compared with a visual inspection. For example, it allows the dental specialist to see the condition of your jawbones, and much more. This will assist our dental specialist in providing the best possible treatment options for you, based on your current dental condition.

Should you have an x-ray that has been taken not more than six months ago, you can also bring it with you to the dental appointment. Do note that your clinical condition may change with time and a new radiograph may be needed if a long period of time has elapsed since your last x-ray.

A good x-ray shows the overall structure of the teeth and gums which may not be seen with oral examination alone. It is important to have an x-ray taken in order for a proper diagnosis and thorough examination to be done. Your dental specialist can then provide you with the appropriate treatment options based on your dental condition.

Specialist Dental Group’s imaging facilities are exclusively for the use of our patients, the process of taking an x-ray is quick and the results can be seen in the consultation/treatment room computer within seconds. Thus, the discussion of treatment options can proceed efficiently, and patients are able to make a decision about their treatment without unnecessary delays.

For female patients who are pregnant, please inform the front desk and dental nurse about your condition. The common practice in the clinic is that we try to avoid exposing a pregnant woman to radiation as a preventive measure. However, we do have safety measure to take radiographs for pregnant patients if their clinical condition warrants a clear radiographic diagnosis. e.g., a bad dental infection which may trigger off pre-term labour.

Depending on the dental condition and the procedures recommended, the dental specialist may recommend other types of radiographs or scans to be taken, such as lateral cephalometric radiograph during braces consultation, TMJ radiographs for jaw joint disorder consultation, computerized tomography (CT) Scan for dental implants and other surgical procedures, or bite wings and periapical radiographs to get a detailed image of a particular tooth.

Prior to taking an x-ray,

• Earrings and other metallic ornaments (e.g. nose rings) should be removed
• Patients who wear dentures need to remove the dentures.

Do note that the radiation dosage of our new digital x-ray equipment is less than 50% of conventional x-ray equipment. This is the approximately the same radiation exposure if one has an hour of sunshine under a good sunny day. In other words, it is an extremely safe procedure.

Discharging and Payment

At the end of the appointment (when the consultation, examination and treatments (if any) are completed), you will proceed to the waiting area to be discharged by the front desk staff.

Our front desk staff will summarize the treatments which have been completed during your visit and will inform you about the applicable charges. Payment can be settled by cash, credit card (Visa and Master Card), and NETS.

Medisave may be used for certain surgical procedures including dental implant surgery and wisdom teeth surgery. For more information on the amount claimable from Medisave, you may refer to: http://www.specialistdentalgroup.com/faq/medisave_procedures-rev.php

Our clinic also offers an interest-free installment plan for UOB credit cardholders, which applies to certain procedures. You can find out more about this from our front desk staff or by sending an email to our clinic.

For patients with insurance coverage, our general policy is to collect the payment from the patients and assist in completing the insurance claim form so that the insurance company will reimburse patients for their treatment. Certain insurance companies have made special arrangements with our clinic and you may want to enquire via our website if your insurance company has such an arrangement in place.

Our front desk staff will also provide instructions on medication to be taken (if any) and post-surgery tips as well as provide assistance as needed. If a follow up visit is required, our front desk staff will arrange an appointment for you based on your availability.

We look forward to your visit and being your partner in dental health !