What to expect at a visit.

Road 426 runs off Highway 41 in Oakhurst. If you're coming from the north, head south on Highway 41, and from Coarsegold, head north on the same road. From Ahwahnee and Mariposa the route begins on Highway 49, and from North Fork it begins on Road 200. Contact and directions has the map.

Allow a little extra time for a first visit. If you lose your way, stop somewhere safe and give us a call, and we'll help you find us.

If you have questions about access, including parking and the route from your car to the front door, please call (559) 683-4694 before your visit. We're happy to go over what to expect.

We'll ask for your name, photo identification, and your dental plan card if you have one. If you completed your new patient forms at home, we'll collect them here and go over anything that's unclear with you.

Your medical history is an important part of the visit. Medications, doses, allergies, blood pressure, diabetes, blood thinners, bone medications, heart valve history, joint replacements and pregnancy all affect what's safe to do and how we do it. A written medication list is a big help, so please bring one.

We'll also ask how you prefer to be reached, and whether anyone else may discuss your care with us. Let the desk know about any preferences, including if you'd rather not be called at work.

The chair reclines to a nearly flat position. If lying flat is uncomfortable for you because of a back condition, reflux, breathing difficulty or late pregnancy, please tell us before the chair moves, and we'll adjust the position.

Above the chair is the operating light. On one side of the chair is the delivery unit, which carries the handpieces and the air and water syringe. On the other side are the suction lines and the bracket table where instruments are laid out.

You'll hear some distinctive sounds. A high pitched whine is a handpiece, a rushing sound is suction, and a rapid ticking or hissing during a cleaning is an instrument removing hardened deposit from the tooth. Every one of these sounds is a normal part of a visit.

The mirror and the explorer come first. The mirror shows surfaces that can't be seen directly, and the explorer is a fine pointed instrument for checking the edges of existing fillings and the grooves of a tooth.

The periodontal probe is a thin, blunt instrument with millimeter markings. It measures the space between gum and tooth at six points around each tooth, and those measurements are the basis for diagnosing gum disease and tracking it over time.

X-rays are taken when they're due, because decay and bone changes between teeth or below the gumline can't be seen in a visual examination. The preventive dentistry page covers this in more detail.

Instruments are opened from sealed sterilization pouches, and you're welcome to ask at any visit how they're cleaned and processed.