Your first visit runs a full hour, and it begins with a conversation rather than an instrument. Before we recommend anything, we want to understand what’s brought you in, what you’ve experienced at other offices, what you’re hoping to change, and what matters to you about your teeth. Some patients arrive with a specific problem. Others haven’t been to a dentist in a decade and aren’t sure where to start. Both are fine.
What Happens at Your First Appointment
A meet and greet, and a tour. You’ll meet Dr. Burmaster or Dr. Hemphill face to face, and we’ll show you around the office. It’s a small thing, but knowing where you are and who you’re with takes the edge off, particularly for anxious patients.
A conversation about your concerns and goals. This is the part we protect. Your dentist will ask what’s bothering you, what you’d like to be different, and what your history with dental care has been. Then she’ll listen.
A comprehensive examination. A thorough evaluation of your teeth, gums, bite, and the soft tissues of your mouth — including a full-mouth periodontal exam, an oral cancer screening, and a head and neck exam.
A collection of records. We’ll take digital x-rays and other dental imaging as needed for your situation, along with intra-oral photographs, and review your dental and medical history with you. These records establish a baseline we’ll measure against for years.
A recommendation built around your findings. Based on what we see, your dentist will recommend a hygiene schedule, a treatment plan, or both — with the reasoning explained and the costs discussed before anything is scheduled.
Your Cleaning Is a Second Appointment
This surprises some new patients, so it’s worth explaining.
We schedule your dental cleaning as a separate second visit rather than squeezing it into your first. There are two reasons. First, an hour spent properly on examination and conversation is an hour we’d have to take away from somewhere if we added a cleaning to it. Second, the kind of cleaning you need depends on what the exam finds — a patient with healthy gums and a patient with periodontal pockets need genuinely different appointments, and we’d rather know which one you are before we book the time.
You’ll leave your first visit with your cleaning already on the calendar.
If You’re Anxious About Coming In
A significant number of our patients are, and a good many of them haven’t seen a dentist in years because of it. We’d like to say a few things directly to you if that’s your situation.
You won’t be lectured. We’re not interested in what happened over the last several years; we’re interested in where you’d like to go from here.
Nitrous oxide–oxygen conscious sedation is available whenever it’s needed. Our clinicians use specific techniques to minimize the discomfort of injections. And we take the time to hear your concerns before treatment begins, so that your fears are addressed rather than pushed through.
Tell us when you call. We’ll build the appointment around it.
What to Bring
Your completed new patient forms, which we’ll send you when you schedule
Your dental insurance card
A photo ID
A list of current medications, including supplements
Any recent x-rays from a previous dentist, if you have them
A list of questions, if it helps you remember them
Bringing Your Children
We see patients starting at age one, and we recommend a first dental visit between ages one and two. For young children, the goal of an early visit is comfort as much as clinical care — a child who has a good first experience tends to become an adult who doesn’t dread the dentist.
We also schedule family appointments, so you can bring more than one child in at the same time.
A full hour for your first visit, with time to actually talk
Seated within 10 minutes of your appointment time
No double- or triple-booking, ever
A meet and greet and office tour before any treatment
Comprehensive records including digital x-rays, intra-oral photos, and periodontal charting
Nitrous oxide conscious sedation available for anxious patients
A second-generation family practice where our patients are known by name
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the first appointment?
About an hour. Your dental cleaning is scheduled as a separate second appointment.
Will I get a cleaning at my first visit?
No — your cleaning is booked as a second appointment. This lets us give your examination the full time it deserves, and lets us schedule the right kind of cleaning based on what we find.
What if I haven’t been to a dentist in years?
Then you’re far from alone, and you’re doing the right thing by coming in. We’ll assess where things stand, tell you honestly what we find, and build a plan to get you comfortable and healthy. There’s no judgment here.
Do I need to bring my x-rays from my previous dentist?
If you have them, bring them — it’s useful history. If you don’t, that’s fine; we’ll take the records we need.
What will my first visit cost?
It depends on your insurance and the records we need. We’ll verify your benefits before your appointment and go over anything not covered so you know what to expect.
