Visit 01 · Your first hour
Nervous is normal. Here’s the whole hour.
Most dread comes from not knowing what happens next. So here is exactly what happens next — minute by minute, price included, no chair until you’ve talked to a person.
The first visit, minute by minute
Minutes 0–10
A chair that isn’t the chair
You start in a consult room, sitting upright, with whoever’s at the front walking your paperwork with you — most of it is already done if you sent the request online. Tell us the history, the worry, the tooth that started all this. This part has no instruments in it.
Minutes 10–25
X-rays and photos
A full set of X-rays and a few photos, taken by Maren or Priya at your pace. If gagging or a small mouth makes X-rays miserable for you, say so — there are smaller sensors and slower ways, and we use them.
Minutes 25–45
The exam, out loud
Dr. Okonkwo examines every tooth and your gums with the screen turned toward you, saying what she sees in plain words as she goes. Questions welcome mid-sentence. You will not hear code numbers muttered over your head to someone else.
Minutes 45–60
The plan, priced, in writing
You end sitting upright again, with a printed plan: what we found, what we’d do about it, what each line costs, and what can wait. If everything’s healthy, the plan is one line long and we schedule a cleaning. Either way, you take the paper home — deciding there is normal.
The whole hour — exam, full X-rays, and the written plan — is $149, from the public price list.
Benefits · Checked before you sit down
Insurance, in plain words
In-network means we’ve agreed to a price list with your insurer, so your share is usually smaller. Out-of-network means we haven’t — your plan still pays, just from a different list, and your share may be bigger. That’s the entire mystery.
We run your benefits before you sit down — call it in or send your card with the appointment request, and the front desk checks what your plan actually covers before your first visit, not after.
Every treatment plan shows the total, our estimate of what insurance pays, and our estimate of your share, in writing. We file the claims for you either way. Estimates are estimates — insurers get the final word — but you’ll never be guessing at the order of magnitude.
Checklist · Short on purpose
What to bring
- A photo ID and your insurance card — a phone photo of the card is fine.
- A list of medications you take, if any. Doses matter for numbing.
- Prior X-rays if you have them. Don’t have them? One signature and we request them from your old office — you never have to make that call.
- Your questions. Written down is great. There is no dumb one.
The promise · In writing, like everything here
The no-lecture promise, in full
Most people who avoid the dentist aren’t avoiding the drill — they’re avoiding the sigh. The little pause, the "when was your last visit?", the feeling of being graded. We think that pause has done more damage to teeth than sugar has.
So here is the deal: whatever we find, you get facts and prices, not judgment. Nobody here will ask why you waited, imply you should be embarrassed, or narrate your history back at you. We fix, you’re fine.
And if nothing needs fixing, we say that too. "Everything looks healthy, see you in six months" is a complete sentence, and we love saying it.