First Visit

Your initial appointment will consist of a consultation explaining your diagnosis and treatment options. Occasionally, treatment can be done the same day as the consultation. However, a complex medical history or treatment plan will require an evaluation and a second appointment to provide treatment on another day.

Please assist us by providing the following at the time of your consultation:

• Recent X-rays (taken within the last 36 months).
• A list of medications you are presently taking.
• If you have dental insurance, bring the necessary information. This will save time and allow us to help you process any claims.
• Please complete our Patient Registration form, which can be downloaded from this website.

IMPORTANT: A parent or guardian must accompany all patients under the age of 18 at the consultation visit.

Please alert the office if you have a medical condition that requires you to Pre-Medicate yourself with antibiotics prior to dental cleaning or surgery, such as orthopedic pins/plates, joint replacement or a cardiac condition. Final decisions whether you need to be pre-medicated must be made by your medical doctor. Please be prepared to provide the phone number of your medical professional. Patients who have had orthopedic or cardiac surgery, as well as patients who have a chronic debilitating illness, should inquire with their physicians about the need to pre-medicate for dental treatment before their first visit with us.

X-Rays

If your previous dentist has taken recent x-rays (within 6-months), you may request that they forward them to our office. If there is not enough time, please pick them up and bring them to our office. If additional films are necessary, they can be taken at our facility.

Drs. Sperber and Portnoy have recently added advanced digital x-ray equipment. The use of digital x-rays allows radiographs to be taken with 50 – 75% less radiation than traditional film x-ray units. These digital images allows us flexibility in that we can now email your radiographs to dental or medical specialists.

Additionally, Drs. Sperber and Portnoy have the state of the art in digital Panoramic x-ray equipment. This panoramic x-ray machine allows us to take images of both the upper and lower jaws, sinuses, temporal mandibular joints (TMJ) and, of course, the teeth. Panoramic images are an excellent tool to rule out tumors and cysts, as well as evaluating impacted wisdom teeth. This is especially useful when we monitor the development and growth of our pediatric patients. For patients who are anxious, or have a active gag reflex, this new device is beneficial since no film is placed into the mouth.