Most people who call us for a first appointment have been meaning to do it for a while. Sometimes a long while. If that is you, the two things you probably want to know are what it will feel like and what it will cost, so this page answers both before you pick up the phone.
Before you come in
We will ask you to complete a health history form. It matters more than it looks: blood pressure medication, blood thinners, bisphosphonates, diabetes, and pregnancy all change how we plan treatment, and some of them change what we can safely do on the day. Arrive a few minutes early to fill it in, or call ahead and ask whether we can send it to you first.
Bring your insurance card and a photo ID. If you have seen a dentist before, ask them to send us your x-rays. Recent images save you both radiation and money, and old ones tell us how fast something has been changing, which a single new x-ray cannot.
What the appointment actually involves
Plan on about ninety minutes for a first visit, longer than a routine checkup. We take a full set of x-rays, and Dr. Ladhar examines every tooth along with your existing fillings and crowns, your bite, your jaw joints, and the soft tissue of your mouth and throat. That last part is an oral cancer screening, it takes two minutes, and it happens at every visit rather than only when something hurts.
Your hygienist also measures the gum around every single tooth and writes the numbers down. Those measurements are the whole point of a first visit, because next year we can compare rather than guess. A cleaning usually happens the same day, though if your gums have already lost attachment we will explain why a regular cleaning is not the right treatment and what is.
If you are dreading it
Tell us at the start, not halfway through. It changes how we work, and nobody here finds it unusual. We offer laughing gas, which takes the edge off and wears off within minutes so you can drive yourself home, and oral sedation for people whose anxiety runs deeper or who want a lot done in one sitting.
Agree a signal with us before we begin, and we stop when you use it. A first visit is also mostly looking and measuring, so if you have been away from dentistry for years, this appointment is unlikely to be the difficult one. Whatever we find, you decide what happens next and when.
The money conversation, up front
We are out of network with every insurance carrier. That sounds like bad news and usually is not: we accept all PPO plans, and Linda, our billing coordinator, files the claim on your behalf and follows it up when it stalls, so you are not the one on hold. What being out of network really means is that our recommendations are not shaped by what a plan will reimburse. We do not accept HMO plans or medical insurance.
If you need treatment, Anna prices the whole plan before you agree to any of it, and she will tell you honestly what needs doing now and what can wait until next year. If you have no insurance, ask about our in-office membership plan. Established patients can arrange payments here in the office, third-party financing is available to anyone at no extra cost, and patients 65 and over take five percent off.
What we look at that you may not expect
Both of our hygienists are trained beyond cleaning teeth. Paula McCarthy has been in this office for thirty-nine years and holds a fellowship through the American Academy for Oral and Systemic Health, which means she will explain how your gums connect to your heart and your blood sugar rather than just telling you to floss more.
Leah Clock is a hygienist and a myofunctional therapist, so she looks at how you breathe and where your tongue rests. She is often the first person to notice an airway problem in an adult who has never once been asked about how they sleep. We can also add saliva testing, which identifies the bacteria actually driving gum disease instead of treating all of it the same way.
You leave with a plan, in order
At the end, Dr. Ladhar goes through what she found, on the screen, with the images in front of you. If treatment is needed you get options rather than an instruction, including the option of waiting, and you hear the trade-offs of each. A long list is normal for anyone who has been away a while, and it is not meant to be done all at once.
The plan comes to you written down and priced, sequenced by what actually matters first. Nothing gets scheduled that you have not agreed to, and nothing gets added quietly along the way.
Booking your visit
We are at 991 Saratoga Ave, Ste 210, in west San Jose, and we are open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. We are closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Call (408) 252-5575 or request a time through this site and we will confirm within one business day. If you are already in pain, say so when you call, because that changes how we prioritise the appointment. If it is the weekend and you have swelling, a fever, or trouble swallowing, go to an emergency room rather than waiting for Monday.
