Common questions

Call (559) 683-4694 during business hours, or send an appointment request through this website. Once we receive your request, we'll call you to find a time that works for you.

If you are due for a visit, call and schedule rather than waiting for a reminder. Calling a few weeks ahead usually makes it easier to find a time that fits your schedule.

Give us a call. The phone is the dependable way to change or cancel an appointment, since the online form is meant for new requests rather than time-sensitive changes.

Plan for a longer appointment than a routine recall. A new patient exam includes a full examination of the teeth, gums, bite and soft tissue, an oral cancer screening, any x-rays that are needed, and a discussion of what was found.

Yes. This is a general dental office and it treats families. If a child needs care that is better provided by a pediatric dentist, we'll tell you and help arrange the referral.

Yes. You are welcome to bring a spouse, an adult child or a caregiver, particularly for a treatment discussion. If the patient is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must be present to give consent.

Your new patient forms if you have already completed them, a photo ID, your dental plan card if you carry benefits, and a current list of medications including doses. If you have had recent x-rays elsewhere, ask that office to send them.

General health and dental treatment affect each other. Blood pressure, diabetes, blood thinners, bisphosphonates, joint replacements, heart valve history and pregnancy all affect what is safe to do and how it is done. List every medication, including supplements.

Yes. Under both federal and California law you have a right to copies of your dental records. Call the office and ask how to make the request.

Health details are safest shared by phone or in person, since ordinary email isn't encrypted. Bring the forms with you, or give us a call and we'll arrange another way.

Call us and ask about the treatment you're considering. Cost depends on what the examination finds, so we'd rather give you a real answer than a range on a web page.

Every dental plan is written differently, so the answer depends on your own policy rather than on the name of the insurer. Call the office with your plan details and ask.

Dental plans are benefit contracts rather than health coverage. Many carry an annual maximum, waiting periods on major work, frequency limits on cleanings and x-rays, missing tooth clauses, and downgrade provisions that pay toward a less expensive material than the one used. Your plan documents set out what applies to you, and your insurer can explain your benefits.

Please tell us. A larger plan can often be sequenced so urgent problems are treated first and the rest follows in stages. We're happy to talk through the options with you.

No. You'll hear the findings and your options, and you can take all the time you need to consider them. Call us when you've decided, or whenever questions come up.

Please tell us, ideally when you schedule. We'll slow the appointment down, explain each step before it happens, and agree on a signal so you can pause treatment at any point. Dental anxiety is common, and we're glad to work with it rather than around it.

It depends on your decay risk, your gum health and your history rather than on a fixed calendar. Someone with a history of decay and many restorations needs images more often than someone whose teeth have been stable for years. The aim is the fewest images that still show what needs to be seen.

Call us and describe what's happening. If the problem calls for an oral surgeon or a hospital, we'll tell you and point you in the right direction. For difficulty breathing or swallowing, spreading facial swelling, a head injury, or bleeding that cannot be controlled, call 911 or go to an emergency department.

Welcome back. The starting point is an examination, so we know where things stand today. From there you'll get a plan that puts the most important things first, and treatment can go in stages at a pace that suits you.

Mention it when you call and we can talk it through before your visit. What's suitable depends on your medical history and the treatment planned.