The things people
ask most often.

About 60–75 minutes. We sit and talk for a few minutes (no clipboard interrogation), take digital x-rays if it's been more than a year since your last set, do a thorough exam, and a gentle cleaning. You leave with a written summary of what we found and a plan, if any work is needed.

Yes. No asterisks. It covers exam, full-mouth x-rays, and a standard cleaning. The only exception would be if x-rays reveal active periodontal disease that requires a deep cleaning — and we'd show you why and give you a written estimate before doing anything.

No. About a third of our new patients haven't seen a dentist in over five years. We don't lecture, sigh, or make you feel small. Whatever's going on, we've seen worse, and our only job is to figure out the next gentlest step forward.

Mention it when you book — no extra paperwork, no judgment. We offer nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. We also keep weighted blankets, headphones (Spotify or noise-canceling), and a hand-signal stop system in every operatory.

Yes — walk in on a Saturday morning or call ahead. If we're between patients we'll show you around. Some of our patients booked after a 10-minute drop-by.

Probably — we're in-network with Delta Dental, Cigna, Aetna, MetLife, Blue Cross of Idaho, Guardian, United Concordia, and most major plans. Full list on the Insurance page. Out-of-network? We still file for you and most patients get strong reimbursement.

Insurance is filed by us — you pay only your portion, at the time of service. We accept cards, HSA/FSA, ACH, and cash. No surprise bills weeks later.

Yes — 0% financing for 12 months on cases over $1,000 through CareCredit, and negotiated payment plans (3–18 months) for treatment over $3,000. Talk to Aubrey at the front desk — she handles all of this and she's good at it.

Always, before anything starts. Same-day work? Estimate in writing before we begin. Multi-visit treatment? Estimate covers every phase with insurance contribution and your out-of-pocket clearly broken out.

You'll pay the cash-pay rates listed on each service page. We also offer a membership plan: $35/month covers two cleanings, exams, x-rays per year, and 20% off all other treatment. Worth doing if you don't expect to get traditional insurance soon.

First visit at age 1, or within 6 months of the first tooth erupting — whichever comes first. The first few visits are largely "show and tell" — we're building trust, not pursuing billable codes.

Whatever it takes, at their pace. First visits often involve sitting in mom's lap, looking at instruments, riding the chair up and down, counting teeth with a mirror — and that's it. No cleaning if they're not ready. We don't do papoose boards or any form of physical restraint, ever.

We have an honest conversation about it. Topical fluoride applied in-office is well-supported by evidence for caries reduction. We also offer hydroxyapatite varnish as an alternative for parents who prefer it. We do not push fluoride. We do not withhold information.

Yes, on permanent molars when they erupt (usually age 6 and 12), for kids who are at moderate-to-high caries risk. We don't seal every tooth for every kid — it's a clinical judgment, not a billing default.

We do not do braces or expanders for kids, on purpose. We'll do an early ortho screening at age 7 and refer to a trusted orthodontist if intervention is warranted. Pediatric orthodontics is its own specialty and we don't pretend to be experts.