new patients
Nervous about the dentist? You're our regulars.
Plenty of the people in our chairs would rather be almost anywhere else, and a good number arrive after years away. Both are so normal here that we built the visit around them: say the word when you book, and the schedule, the pace, and the conversation all adjust before you walk in.
No lectures. You already know how long it's been — shame has never once grown an appointment, and we're glad you're here now.
The rules that make it manageable
The raise-your-hand rule is absolute: lift a hand and everything stops — no finishing the spot, no 'almost done.' Every step gets explained before it happens, nothing is sprung, and the first appointment can be just a conversation and a look if that's what gets you in the door.
Extra time is blocked for anxious and returning patients so nobody is watching a clock. Music in your ears, breaks on request, a hand signal you agree on in advance — all standard requests, all honored without ceremony.
If it's been years
However long it's been and whatever shape things are in, you won't get a lecture here. You'll get a plan.
Whatever the years did, it's a starting point, not a verdict — and it's rarely as bad as 2am imagination made it. The exam tells us where things stand; the plan goes in order of what matters, at the pace your budget and nerves both allow.
Patients who arrive braced for the worst usually leave with the same surprise: the catching-up was the easy part. The hard part was the phone call, and you'll have already done that.
Comfort options: nitrous oxide
For patients who want more than a steady chairside manner, we offer nitrous oxide — laughing gas. A small mask rests over your nose, and within two to three minutes you feel calm and pleasantly relaxed. You stay fully awake and in control the whole time: you can answer questions, follow instructions, and breathe normally on your own.
Ask for it when you book, or decide on the day — either works. It is a simple, well-understood option that has helped nervous patients through everything from cleanings to extractions.
Questions we hear in the chair
- What if I panic mid-appointment?
- You raise your hand, everything stops, and we regroup — a break, a talk-through, or calling it a day and finishing another time. It's your appointment; that isn't a slogan here.
- Can my first visit be just a conversation?
- Yes. Say so when you book — meeting the doctor, seeing the room, and making a plan is a legitimate first appointment, and often the right one after years away.
- Do you offer anything for severe anxiety?
- Start with the visit built around you — pacing, explanation, and control handle more than most people expect. If your case calls for more, the doctor will discuss the honest options at your consult.
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.