Your First Appointment

Your first appointment with our office is usually for an examination or consultation. This appointment usually lasts 30 – 45 minutes. We will try to address acute problems immediately following the consultation for patients with special care considerations or hardships in scheduling their surgery around work or school obligations.

With most problems we have found that it is better to have the opportunity to meet with the Doctor in a relaxed environment, discuss any planned treatment, and give you the opportunity to ask questions. This is very important when treating children and can make the difference between having an “excellent” or a “less than satisfactory” experience that may affect their desire to seek necessary dental care in the future. Treatment is often scheduled for a later date to allow you to prepare for your surgery, arrange for an escort, and make any necessary arrangements with an employer or school.

It is very important to bring any current available X-Rays and any instructions from your referring doctor. Many dentists will forward your X-Rays to our office in advance of your visit. Often this may be accomplished over the internet. If you take any medication, please bring your medications or a list of what you take, the dose, and the number of times a day that you take the medications. Complex treatment planning may require integrating your special health care needs into your treatment plan. This is best accomplished with a complete health history.

Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. We understand that this may be difficult under certain circumstances. We are ultimately required to have the parent or legal guardian’s permission to examine or treat a minor child under all circumstances. Please contact our office in advance if you need to sign an authorization that allows us to examine and treat your minor child in your absence.

Remember that Washington State law protects your right as a patient to be informed about your treatment. You must give “informed consent” before any surgery is performed and you should not consent to anything you do not understand.

Dr. Steen, Dr. Peysakhov or Dr. Rubens will personally review your surgery consent. Please read your consent form carefully and ask any questions that you may have before your treatment. Please also read our Privacy-Policy »