New Patients: What to Expect
Exactly what happens at a first visit, what to bring, and how long to allow.
You Should Know What Is Coming
If you are like most patients, you would rather be told what happens before you arrive than find out in the chair. So here it is, start to finish.
Your first visit is as much about you getting to know this office as the other way round. Ask questions, say what has worried you before, and mention anything that has hurt even if it has stopped.
What to Bring
Four things make the first appointment go smoothly.
Your First Visit, Step by Step
Every first appointment follows the same path, so there are no surprises.
We Talk First
Before anyone picks up an instrument, we ask what brought you in, what you have had done before, and what you actually want from your teeth.
Medical History
We go through your medical history and medications, because some conditions and some drugs change what treatment is safe and how it heals.
X-Rays and a Full Exam
A full-mouth series of X-rays, then an examination of the teeth, gums, mouth and jaw, including a non-invasive oral cancer screening.
We Show You What We Found
The findings in plain language, with the screen turned round if you want to see the X-rays. Nobody should agree to treatment they cannot picture.
A Plan and a Price
Treatment in order of urgency with the cost attached, staged across several appointments if that fits your budget better.
You’re in Great Hands
If you have not been to a dentist in a long while, please do not worry about it. You have made the decision to come in, and that is the part that was hard. Nobody here is going to make you feel guilty about the gap.
Not only is your physical comfort important to us, your emotional comfort is too. Come in, recline, and let us take it from there. If the appointment itself is what you are dreading, say so when you book and we will plan around it.
Nervous? Tell the front desk when you call.
Fill Out Your New Patient Forms
Our forms are hosted on PatientViewer. Doing them at home means you are not writing out your medical history in a waiting room, and it gives us time to read them before you arrive.
New Patient Forms
Opens PatientViewer in a new tab. You can also fill them in on a tablet in the office.
Open the FormsPlease do not email medical details. Bring them, or use the secure forms.New Patient Questions
How long will my first visit take?
Allow about an hour. That covers the conversation, a full-mouth series of X-rays, a complete exam including an oral cancer screening, and going through the findings and the costs with you.
What should I bring?
Your insurance card, a photo ID, and a list of any medicines you take including vitamins and supplements, with the doses. If you have had X-rays elsewhere in the last year, ask that office to send them over.
Will I get a cleaning on the first visit?
Often, yes. If the exam does not turn up anything that needs dealing with first, the cleaning usually happens the same day. If there is active gum disease, a standard cleaning is not the right treatment and we will explain what is needed instead.
It has been years since I saw a dentist. Is that a problem?
It is common and nobody will lecture you. The exam is the same either way, and what comes out of it is a list in order of urgency that can be worked through over months if that suits you.
Can I fill in the forms before I arrive?
Yes, and it saves time at check-in. The new patient forms are online through PatientViewer, or you can fill them in on a tablet in the office if you would rather.
Request an Appointment
Call the front desk, or send the form and we will follow up to confirm a time and check your insurance before you arrive.
Request an appointment
Send this and the front desk will follow up to confirm a time and check your insurance before you arrive.