new patients
Your first visit, minute by minute.
Uncertainty is half of dental dread, so here is the whole visit, in order, laid out ahead of time. Total time: about an hour. Total decisions sprung on you mid-chair: zero.
A sixty-second film version of this walkthrough is coming to this page after our footage day — until then, the text tour.
First fifteen minutes: talking, not tools
The visit starts with a conversation: your history, anything that hurts, what you want from your teeth, and anything that makes dental visits hard for you. If registration wasn't handled ahead, the front desk sorts it in minutes.
Then records: X-rays only if you're due and don't have recent ones to transfer, taken digitally at a fraction of film's radiation.
The middle: cleaning and the exam
When scheduling allows — most first visits — the hygienist cleans and polishes, measuring gum health along the way and narrating anything worth knowing. Sensitive spots get gentleness and, if you want it, numbing gel; the raise-your-hand rule applies from the first instrument.
Then the doctor: a full exam of teeth, gums, bite, and existing dental work, plus the oral cancer screening every exam includes. Everything visible goes on the screen — you see what we see, which is the whole philosophy in one sentence.
The last ten minutes: the plan
You leave with a plain-language picture of where things stand. If that's 'everything looks good, see you in six months,' that's genuinely what you'll hear. If treatment is worth discussing, you'll get options with honest trade-offs and written numbers — and 'let me think about it' is always an acceptable answer.
Booking the next visit takes two minutes at the desk, and the front desk will have already checked what your insurance covers.
Questions we hear in the chair
- Will I get a cleaning at the first visit?
- Usually yes — it's scheduled that way whenever possible. Years of buildup sometimes call for a deeper cleaning that gets its own appointment; you'll know before anything starts.
- What should I bring?
- Insurance card, medication list, and your previous dentist's name if you want records transferred. Call or text us ahead to begin insurance verification — if we need an image of your card, our team will provide the approved way to send it securely.
- What if the exam finds a lot?
- Then the plan gets ordered by what actually matters — urgent first, cosmetic last, budget respected. Nothing is scheduled without your yes, and nothing is pitched in the chair while you're horizontal.
- Can I meet the doctor before committing to anything?
- Yes — a conversation-first visit is a legitimate booking, especially after years away. Say so when you call.
Clinical content reviewed by Dr. Marissa DeAngelis, Senior Dentist.
Serving Crozet for 50+ years. At least two full-time doctors in the building, Monday through Friday.