Your First Visit To A New Dentist - What To Expect

There are plenty of reasons to seek out a new dentist. You may have moved recently, or you're simply not satisfied with your current dentist. Whatever your reasons, it may have been a while since you stepped into a new dentist's office for the first time. It's natural to be anxious, but knowing what to expect before you go can certainly make things easier. Let's talk about your first visit to a new dentist and what you can expect.

Once you've decided upon a dentist and scheduled your first appointment, you'll want to prepare for it ahead of time. For your convenience and ease during your visit, it's best to print and fill out all required forms beforehand. First visit forms for Grace & Leedy Family Dentistry can be found here. Typical forms include a patient history and intake form, a notice of privacy practices form, a HIIPA practices form, and any other information the office needs before they can begin treatment. Having these forms filled out ahead of time ensures you'll be able to make your appointment on time so they can accommodate their other patients in a timely manner as well.

In addition, you'll want to bring any insurance cards or information that you'll want to use both for this and future visits. The receptionist will take a scan of the card for current and future use. If you don't happen to have a card, you may be able to print one from your online account or at least print out the needed information. If you're concerned about your insurance coverage being accepted at the office, it's best to call ahead and discuss coverage with the receptionist. Often most offices will do their best to work with your dental insurance coverage.

During your first consultation with a new dentist, it is wise to bring a list of concerns you may have as well as treatment goals that you want to meet. It's natural to go blank when you're in the chair and the dentist asks you, which is why it's best to write it all down before you come. Example concerns and goals include the investigation of a toothache, the desire for whiter teeth or other cosmetic improvements, evaluation for dental implants and much more. Ensuring you're prepared before the visit will put you on an expedient course for the treatment you need or desire the most.

It may sound a little excessive, but if you've never been to your new dentist's office, you'll want to allow for extra time for your first visit. This means leaving the house well before your appointment time or asking for a little more time off work during the day. The reason for this is simple - sometimes you get lost or turned around. Other times traffic in the area is worse than you expected. You'll want to arrive early to complete any last minute paperwork and turn in your completed forms and insurance information. It's best to plan ahead and arrive early. You can always call the office if you need additional directions.

First, new patients are given a thorough exam to evaluate their current dental health and their pressing treatment needs. This includes a dental exam by the dentist and updated x-rays. Even if you've had x-rays in the past, an updated set is needed to evaluate your current condition. X-rays are a valuable tool to diagnose and evaluate any potential issues that an exam doesn't show. The dentist is able to take the x-rays and share the results all in the same initial visit.

A thorough dental cleaning is also performed as part of the first visit. Once completed, your dentist will meet with you one final time to discuss x-ray results and lay out any future treatment if needed. At this time your dentist may begin additional treatment if needed, or schedule a future visit to take care of the needed work.

Hopefully after reading this you're a little less nervous about your first visit to a new dentist. If you're in need of a new dental care provider, we'd love the chance to show you how we provide quality care to all our patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment today or let us know if you have any additional questions.