New Patients

First Visit

How to prepare for the Age-One Visit

Congratulations on making your child’s year one visit! This easy prevention focused appointment is the first step in establishing a lifetime of healthy smiles. Completing your new patient paperwork prior to your appointment is highly recommended. The appointment usually lasts between 40-60 minutes minutes and the majority of the time is spent educating the caregivers while little ones are free to sit with their families or play with a variety of toys and books.

During your appointment, team members will review normal oral development, healthy eating habits, effective brushing techniques, how cavities form and how to prevent them. For most babies and toddlers, we use a lap exam position for the checkup. This position allows for your child to stay close to you while allowing the doctor easy access to look in the mouth. After the examination, the doctor will discuss your child’s oral development and any recommendations to stay cavity free.

Tips for Toddler and Pre-School Aged Children

We understand that younger children may feel anxious about visiting the dentist. Our kid friendly staff is passionate about making your child feel secure in our office. We want to make your child’s visit a good experience and we can use your help! Here are some simple Do’s and Don’ts we recommend that can help set things on the right path before your visit.

Do Read Books or Watch a Show About the Dentist: Read books about going to the dentist (ex. Dora: Show Me Your Smile) or watch a favorite show where the characters go to the dentist (ex. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Daniel Gets his Teeth Cleaned) to prepare for the visit.
Do Play Dentist: Have your child practice going to the dentist at home. Practice laying down, looking into the mouth, and counting teeth on a favorite toy, a parent, or your child. This makes going to the dentist more familiar.
Don’t Create Worry or Anxiety: Please do not tell your child they “need to be brave” or “it will not hurt.” Many children do not have negative preconceived notions associated with the dentist, and starting from a place of negativity may create unnecessary anxiety for them.
Do Visit Our Website: You can show your children pictures of nice people they will meet, the toys, TVs, iPads, and books our office is filled with, and our fun prize wall that they will get a special toy from. This helps your kiddos get excited for their visit and lets them know this office is a special place just for them.

Office Policies

How are appointments scheduled?

The office attempts to schedule appointments at your convenience and when time is available. Preschool children should be seen in the morning because they are fresher and we can work more slowly with them for their comfort. School children with a lot of work to be done should be seen in the morning for the same reason. Dental appointments are an excused absence. Missing school can be kept to a minimum when regular dental care is continued.

Since appointed times are reserved exclusively for each patient we ask that you please notify our office 48 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep your appointment. A fee of $75 will be charged to patients who do not provide 48 hours notice to cancel an appointment and a fee of $125 will be charged to patients who do not come to their appointment and do not provide any prior notice (no show). Repeated instances of missing appointments may result in dismissal from the practice.

Do I stay with my child during the visit?

We want to establish cooperation and trust between your child and our team. This relationship helps us to establish a closer rapport with your child while building his/her confidence in our office. Parents are welcome to accompany their children during their appointment; however, in certain instances we may ask you to play the role of a silent observer.

What about finances?

At the time of receiving dental treatment, payment for professional services is expected. Our team will make every effort to offer a treatment plan that aligns with your schedule and financial situation, while ensuring that your child receives optimal care. We accept various forms of payment, including cash, personal checks, debit cards, and major credit cards.

Our Office Policy Regarding Dental Insurance

As a courtesy to our patients, we will file your dental claims with your dental insurance so you don’t have to. If you would like to utilize any dental insurance benefits, we request that you provide our office with your child’s dental insurance information prior to your appointment, so the information can be verified. We encourage you to become familiar with your own dental insurance plan because not all information is made available to us as a third party to your plan. We strive to provide an accurate estimate for any anticipated out-of-pocket costs, but this is provided as a courtesy, not as a guarantee of coverage and payment. Any amount not paid by your insurance company will be your responsibility, whether or not the amount differs from the original estimate.

We recommend treatment based on care needed, not insurance coverage. We do not have control over what or how much is covered, excluded, or denied. Most insurance plans have deductibles, copays, maximums, frequency limitations, downgrading, and networks that can lead to out of pocket expenses. We are available to help guide you if insurance coverage is a concern. For a more accurate estimate, a pre-authorization/pre-determination can be requested from your insurance. If interested, we can help submit one for you. If you have any questions regarding insurance, please ask.

Dr. Diane Tung