New Patients at The Downtown Seattle Dentist
We’re Glad You’re Here
What to Expect During Your First Visit
The first appointment is built around a conversation. We listen to what you want from your smile, go through your dental history, and talk about what matters most to you. A gentle, comprehensive exam follows, with any X-rays needed to understand the condition of your teeth and gums. You will not be surprised by anything, and treatment starts only when you say so.
Feel free to visit our Boren Avenue office before your appointment to meet the team and see the space. A quick tour makes the real visit feel a lot more routine.
Your First Visit, Step by Step
A Friendly Welcome
We say hello at the door, walk you around the office if you have not been here before, and get you settled in your room. Plan on 60 to 90 minutes for a first visit.
Comprehensive Exam
We look at every tooth, measure your gums, screen for oral cancer, and check how your bite comes together. Digital X-rays and intraoral photos put the same images in front of you that we are looking at.
Same-Day Cleaning When Possible
If your teeth and gums are in good enough shape for it, your cleaning happens the day you come in. If a deeper cleaning is the better option, we walk you through the reason and book the appointment that fits.
Leave With A Clear Plan
We tell you what we found in everyday words, with nothing to sell and no dental vocabulary to decode. You go home with the cost in writing and any next appointment already on the calendar.
New Patient Welcome Email & Patient Forms
After your first appointment is on the schedule, watch for a welcome email with a link to create your patient portal login. Your new patient forms are waiting inside, so you can work through them at home instead of filling them out in our reception area.
Completing them soon after booking gives our Boren Avenue team time to verify your dental benefits before you arrive, which keeps your visit running on schedule.
How Early to Arrive
Plan on showing up about 10 minutes before your appointment time. That gives us a chance to:
- Introduce you to the front-desk team and get you checked in
- Scan your photo ID and insurance card
- Let you get comfortable in the reception area instead of walking straight into the chair
What to Bring to Your First Appointment
- A photo ID and your dental insurance card, if you have coverage
- HSA and FSA cards and CareCredit are all welcome for any copay due at the visit
- If you have them handy, a list of your current medications and any recent dental records or X-rays from a previous office
Parking & Access
We are located at 511 Boren Avenue North, Suite 100, in South Lake Union, just off I-5 near Mercer Street. That makes us a quick trip for patients coming from Capitol Hill, Eastlake, Queen Anne, and the Eastside. Reach out before your appointment if you would like directions or parking guidance.
If You Haven’t Been in a While
Many people who come to our Boren Avenue office have not sat in a dental chair in years. Life gets busy, a past appointment went badly, a move interrupted a routine, or the right office never turned up. However long it has been, you are welcome here. Your first visit back means a comfortable exam, an honest conversation about what we find, and a plan built at a pace you set. Oral sedation is available if you would like extra support getting through it.
Frequently Asked Questions by New Patients
What happens at a new patient visit that does not happen at a cleaning?
Your first appointment covers a lot more ground. We complete a comprehensive exam, take the X-rays needed to see the whole picture, ask about your goals, and walk you through everything we find. If your teeth and gums are in good shape, your cleaning usually happens during that same appointment.
Is my first visit covered by PPO insurance?
Most PPO plans cover exams, X-rays, and routine cleanings at little or no cost to you. We check your benefits before your appointment at our Boren Avenue office and make sure you use everything your plan already provides.
How long is a new patient appointment?
Expect somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes. That is enough time for a real conversation about your goals, a careful exam, X-rays when they are needed, and any questions you want answered before you leave.
Do I have to get X-rays?
X-rays are a standard part of a first exam because they show what the eye cannot. Decay between teeth, infection below the gumline, and bone loss all turn up on an X-ray long before they cause symptoms, which is when they are easiest to fix.
Will my cleaning happen the same day?
Often it does. When your exam shows healthy teeth and gums, we clean your teeth during the same visit. If we find signs of gum disease, a deeper cleaning is the better treatment, and we will explain why and schedule it properly rather than doing the wrong procedure.
What do you offer for patients who are nervous about dental work?
Quite a bit. We slow down, describe what is coming before it happens, and work gently. Oral sedation is available here for patients who want more help staying relaxed. Let us know how you are feeling when you schedule and we will build the visit around it.
Will you make me feel bad about the shape my teeth are in?
That is not how we work. There is always a reason someone has been away, and none of them are worth a lecture. We focus on the plan ahead of you, and you will be met with compassion and respect at every appointment.
I have avoided the dentist for a long time. Where do I start?
Start with one appointment. Many of our patients came in after years away, and the first visit back is deliberately low pressure: a comfortable exam, an honest description of what we find, and a plan you help shape at a speed that works for you.
How can I pay for treatment without dental insurance?
CareCredit is available to our patients and works well for uninsured visits and larger treatment plans. It breaks the cost into monthly payments, and qualifying patients can take advantage of interest-free promotional periods.
Do I get to pick which dentist I see?
Yes. Name the dentist you would like when you book and we will do our best to schedule you with them. If you are new and unsure, describe what you need and our team will suggest the provider who fits it best.
Hear What Our Patients Have to Say
As someone with dental anxiety it is important that I feel comfortable and safe at my dental appointments; I always feel that way here, they take their time and are always extremely kind and thorough. I have been coming here for 2 years now and my teeth have never been better!
I have had 2 great experiences at The Downtown Seattle Dentist. All of the staff: receptionist, dental hygienist and dentist were very patient, professional and enjoyable. I hope I don’t need to come again too soon, but if I do have a dental emergency I will be coming here!
I have always been a bit anxious going to the dentist but Dr. Sabrina is so kind and considerate. She is incredibly knowledgeable and consistently great at her job. I have been seeing her for almost 2 years now and have been beyond impressed with her work.
Amazing team! The dentist is very gentle and thorough. I will recommend Dr Sabrina to my family and friends.
Highly recommend this dentist! I needed urgent care for a chipped tooth, and they were able to fit me in same day. The work was quick, painless, and looks great. The front desk staff are warm and welcoming, and the dental team is professional, efficient, and very pleasant.
Office staff was very welcoming. Got my X-rays and cleaning done in a timely manner. Dentist was thorough in explaining what she found. Definitely recommend this practice.
Dr Sabrina and her team are very pleasant, very meticulous and detail oriented dentist. Highly recommend.
This was my first appointment at The Downtown Seattle Dentist and I’m glad I chose this office. They were very kind and the appointment was painless and easy. I feel like Dr. Sabrina was thorough and worked to understand my dental history and what I’m looking for from my dentist.
