New patients start here

How the first appointment runs, how insurance and payment are handled, and how to book.

Two parents and a child walking hand in hand on a path beside woodland.
The hallway leading to the treatment rooms at Advanced Dental Care of Stafford.
Three generations of a family embracing and laughing together outdoors.
The coffee station in the reception area.

Your first visit

Plan on 60 to 90 minutes

That covers your records, the exam, a cleaning in most cases, and the conversation at the end. Here is the order it happens in, and why each part is there.

  1. Your health history, first

    Before anyone looks in your mouth we go through your medical history and every medication you take. Blood thinners, blood pressure medication, diabetes, a heart condition — any of these can change what is safe to do that day. It is not a formality.

  2. X-rays and photos

    Decay between two teeth, or bone loss under the gumline, does not show up in a mirror. Digital X-rays and intraoral photos put both on a screen, and we turn the screen toward you so you can see what we are describing.

  3. The exam

    A dentist checks each tooth, then measures the gum pockets around them with a small probe. Those numbers say whether the gum is still attached where it should be. Your bite and the soft tissue in your cheeks, tongue and palate get checked too.

  4. A cleaning, in most cases

    Most first visits include a cleaning that removes hardened plaque a toothbrush cannot shift. If the pocket readings show the problem sits below the gumline, a routine cleaning will not reach it — we will explain what does before we do anything different.

  5. What we found, in writing

    We tell you what we found, sorted by what needs attention now and what can wait. You leave with it written down, including what your plan is expected to cover, before you agree to any treatment.

If it has been years since your last appointment, that does not change how the visit runs — it is one of the more common reasons people call us. For the clinical detail on what the exam checks and what a cleaning actually removes, Dr. Abdoun walks through the whole appointment here.

Five things to bring

  • Photo ID
  • Your insurance card, if you have one
  • A written list of your medications and doses
  • X-rays from a previous dentist, if they are recent
  • The questions you have been meaning to ask

Give yourself an extra ten minutes for paperwork. Running behind? Call and we will work with you.

Insurance and payment

The money part, before you are in the chair

We work with most PPO plans. Coverage differs from plan to plan, even between two plans sold by the same insurer, so we verify your benefits with your plan directly rather than reading them off the card. Call (540) 288-2800 with the card in front of you and we will tell you where you stand before you come in.

We accept Virginia Medicaid.

Nothing gets scheduled before you have seen the numbers. After the exam you get the plan written down:

What we recommend
The treatment we are proposing, and why it is next.
What your plan is expected to cover
What your plan is expected to pay toward it.
What would be left for you
An estimate of the balance after your plan's expected share.

If that total is more than you want to take on at once, say so then. Most treatment can be phased, and we would rather build a plan you can actually start.

Four team members at Advanced Dental Care of Stafford laughing together.
Two staff members at Advanced Dental Care of Stafford sharing a laugh.

If you are nervous

Say it when you call, not when you arrive

Knowing in advance changes how we plan the appointment — what gets explained first, when we stop, how much time goes on the schedule. For many people that is enough on its own.

Sedation is also available here, for a strong gag reflex, a long restorative appointment, or a history that makes sitting through treatment hard. Which approach suits you depends on your health history and the treatment planned, so a dentist goes through it with you before anything is scheduled.

How sedation works hereWhat helps without medication

Questions new patients ask

How to book

One phone call and we take it from there

Call the office Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Say it is a first visit and roughly what is going on, and we will find a time with you. There is no online booking on this site — if it is easier, send the contact form and we will call you back.

Call (540) 288-2800Send the contact form

In pain right now? Call first. We can talk through what is happening, tell you what to do in the meantime, and get you in as soon as the schedule allows. What to do in a dental emergency →