We reserve 90 minutes for your first visit with us, allowing a comprehensive and personalized experience. During this time, we review your health history, discuss your goals and concerns, take all necessary records, and complete a detailed examination with Dr. Richard to establish a strong foundation for your care.
Dedicated time with Dr. Richard
Your visit begins with a conversation, not just an exam. Dr. Richard takes time to understand your health history, dental experiences, concerns, and long-term goals so we can identify the root causes affecting your oral health and how they connect to your overall well-being.
She then performs a comprehensive evaluation of your teeth, gums, bite, and jaw, leveraging photographs, digital scans, and x-rays taken at the visit. By the end of the appointment, you'll have a clear understanding of your current oral health, treatment options, and a personalized plan designed to support both your dental and overall health for years to come. After having an understanding of your gum health, we'll schedule an appointment for you with our hygienist that will be customized to your needs.
Personalized time with your hygienist
Your first appointment with our hygienist will include a professional cleaning tailored to your unique situation. Functional dentistry places a strong emphasis on prevention, so you'll also discuss home care habits, risk factors, and practical strategies to help maintain a healthy oral microbiome and prevent future disease.
If signs of gum disease are present, the appointment will focus on targeted periodontal treatment rather than a routine cleaning. Your hygienist will explain the findings and recommended approach as successful gum therapy often requires more than one visit.
Looking at the whole picture
Dr. Richard practices functional dentistry, which is a way of approaching care rather than a separate service you book. It means the conversation goes beyond the tooth that is bothering you today and into the things that shape oral health over years: what you eat, how you sleep, what else is going on with your general health, and what your mouth has been through already.
That conversation is part of every first visit now. Sometimes it stays short. Sometimes it opens up something worth a proper look, and when it does, we will arrange the extra time to discuss.
Planning with the future in mind
Most dental problems are slow. That is good news, because it means decisions rarely have to be made in a hurry, and it means the sequence you treat things in matters as much as the treatments themselves.
So we plan around where you want to be, not just what is sore today. If something can wait, we will tell you it can wait. If something will get more expensive and more invasive the longer it is left, we will tell you that too, and then it is your call. Quality is the constant. Timing is yours.
Scheduling & Deposit Policy
Because your first appointment includes 90 minutes reserved specifically for you with Dr. Richard and her Team, we require a $200 deposit when scheduling. This deposit is applied toward the cost of your visit, so it is not an additional fee.
If you need to reschedule or cancel, simply let us know at least two business days in advance, and your deposit will either be transferred to your new appointment or refunded in full.
As our office is open Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays, the notice deadlines are as follows:
- Monday appointment: Notify us by the previous Wednesday
- Tuesday appointment: Notify us by the previous Thursday
- Wednesday appointment: Notify us by Monday
- Thursday appointment: Notify us by Tuesday
Your deposit is only forfeited if an appointment is missed or canceled without the required notice. For new patient visits, this deposit serves as the entire cancellation fee. There are no additional charges.
We reserve 90 minutes of clinical time for every new patient, and it is often difficult to fill that time on short notice. This policy helps us respect the time set aside for your care while allowing us to continue serving all of our patients effectively.
Before Your Visit
To help us prepare for your appointment and make the most of your time with us, we require all new patient forms to be completed prior to your visit. These forms can be completed at home and are available on our New Patient Forms page, along with our Notice of Privacy Practices and Cancellation Policy.
If you have dental insurance, you can provide your insurance information directly on your new patient forms. While we are an out-of-network practice, we still assist patients in utilizing their out-of-network benefits. Our Insurance & Payment page explains how out-of-network benefits work and what you can expect.
Ready to schedule? Call us at (303) 395-3333 to book your appointment.
New Patient Process FAQs
How long does a first visit take?
90 minutes, one-on-one with Dr. Richard, for a conversation, exam, and records. That is longer than most practices set aside, so there is time to understand what is going on before any treatment is planned. Your cleaning and gum assessment happen at a separate follow-up visit with your hygienist.
Do I need to pay anything to book my first visit?
Yes, a $200 deposit is required, since it reserves 90 minutes of chair time with Dr. Richard and her Team. It comes off the cost of your visit rather than being charged on top of it, so it is not an extra fee.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule my first visit?
Let us know at least two business days ahead and your deposit moves with you or is refunded in full. Without that notice, the deposit is kept, since 90 minutes of a dentist's time cannot be filled at short notice.
What happens if gum disease is found at my follow-up hygiene visit?
Your routine cleaning changes into gum treatment instead, since the two are different procedures with different purposes. Your hygienist will explain what she found and why before starting, and treating gum disease often takes more than one visit to complete.
Do I need to fill out forms before my first visit?
You can save time on the day by completing your new patient forms at home. If you have dental insurance, call ahead with your plan details so we can look at your benefits before you arrive.