How long is the first appointment?

Two hours. This includes the conversation with Dr. House, full diagnostic imaging, a thorough exam, and a professional cleaning. We schedule enough time so that nothing feels rushed.

Will I get a treatment plan at my first visit?

It depends on the complexity of your situation. Some patients receive a plan the same day. For more complex cases, Dr. House takes additional time to study the diagnostic data before presenting recommendations. Either way, you will leave your first visit with a clear understanding of what is happening.

How much does the first visit cost?

The cost of a new patient visit depends on what diagnostic imaging is needed. Our team can provide an estimate when you call to schedule. We accept CIGNA and Aetna, and financing is available through Proceed and CareCredit.

I'm nervous about going to the dentist. Is that okay?

More than okay. Many of our patients had difficult experiences elsewhere before they found House Dental. Dr. House takes the time to listen, explains everything before it happens, and never pressures you into treatment. If you have concerns, bring them. That is what the first conversation is for.

What if I haven't been to a dentist in years?

You are not alone, and you will not be judged. Dr. House sees patients who have avoided dental care for a long time, often because past experiences were rushed, confusing, or dismissive. Your first visit is about understanding where things stand and building a plan that makes sense for you. No lectures. No guilt.

Do you accept my insurance?

House Dental accepts CIGNA and Aetna. If you do not have dental insurance, financing is available through Proceed and CareCredit. We also offer a membership plan for patients who need an alternative to traditional insurance coverage.

Your First Visit | House Dental — Arcadia, Phoenix AZ

The answers are usually hiding where no one took time to look.

If two hours sounds like a lot for a dental appointment, you are not alone. Most dental visits take 30 minutes, maybe an hour if you are a new patient. So why does Dr. House need two?

Because the problems you are dealing with did not develop in 30 minutes. And they will not be understood in 30 minutes either.

The two-hour first visit exists because Dr. House has found, over 24 years of practice, that the answers are usually hiding in the places no one took the time to look. Medications that are changing the chemistry of your mouth. A jaw that shifted after a tooth was lost years ago. Sleep disruption that wears your teeth down every night. A bite that has been off for so long you forgot what normal felt like.

These things do not show up in a quick exam. They show up when someone slows down, collects the right data, and looks at the whole picture.

That is what the first visit is for.

Step 01

We talk first.

Your visit starts with a conversation, not a dental exam. Dr. House sits down and asks about your whole health. Your medications. Your diet. Your sleep. Your stress. Your medical history. What has been bothering you and for how long.

This is not small talk. This is the foundation. What you tell her about your life shapes how she understands your dental situation. The mouth does not exist in isolation. It is connected to everything.

"I want to understand who you are, what's happening, and what matters to you before I recommend anything."

Dr. House sitting and talking with a patient

Step 02

Full diagnostic workup.

After the conversation, Dr. House collects a complete set of diagnostic data.

Full series of X-rays of every tooth, every angle.
Full set of photographs documenting your current condition.
Digital scan producing a precise 3D model of your teeth and bite.
Cone beam CT imaging if your case requires it — a detailed 3D view of your jaw, sinuses, and bone structure.

This is more data than most patients have ever had collected at a single dental visit. It gives Dr. House the full picture, not a partial one.

Diagnostic dental imaging displayed on the operatory monitor

Step 03

The exam itself.

Dr. House examines every tooth. Your gums. Your bite. Your jaw. Your soft tissue. She checks how your teeth come together, how your jaw moves, and whether your joint is functioning the way it should.

She is looking for connections. A tooth that keeps breaking might trace back to a jaw that is out of position. Gum recession might connect to a medication you started two years ago. Chronic headaches might stem from nighttime grinding that nobody has diagnosed.

This is where the whole-body connection becomes real. Your dental health and your overall health are not separate. Dr. House looks at both.

Dr. House examining a patient at the treatment chair

Step 04

Your teeth get cleaned.

Because you came here wanting that, and we want you to leave feeling good. JD, our hygienist, takes care of your cleaning with the same thoroughness that defines everything else about this visit.

Even the cleaning is an opportunity. JD pays attention to changes in your gum health, notes anything unusual, and communicates her findings to Dr. House. At House Dental, nothing gets missed because it happened during a "routine" step.

A hygienist performing a gentle professional teeth cleaning

Step 05

A plan based on understanding, not assumptions.

After the exam, you will know what is happening and why. Dr. House will explain her findings in terms that make sense, not clinical jargon you have to search later.

If treatment is needed, she will walk you through the options. What it involves. Why she recommends it. What the timeline looks like. What it costs. She will answer your questions, all of them.

Sometimes the plan comes that same day. Sometimes Dr. House takes more time to study the data before presenting it. That depends on the complexity of your situation. Either way, nothing starts until you understand the plan and feel ready.

No pressure. No rush. Just clarity.

Dr. House walking a patient through their 3D scan and plan

A few things to make the most of it.

To help us make the most of your first visit, please bring the following.

A list of your current medications, including over-the-counter supplements and vitamins.

Any previous dental records or X-rays you have. Your previous dental office can send these to us ahead of time.

Your insurance information. We accept CIGNA and Aetna.

Your questions. Write them down and bring them with you. We want to hear all of them. No question is too small, and no concern is too minor.

If you are not sure where to start, that is completely fine. The first visit is designed to help you get your questions answered — even the ones you did not know you had.

Recurring problems usually have a deeper cause.

"By the end of that first hour, I've got a full picture of who you are and what's important to you." — Dr. Allison House

Most dental issues that keep coming back have a deeper cause. A crown that falls off three times is not a bad crown. It is a symptom of a bite that is off. Chronic headaches are not always a neurological problem. They can start with a jaw that is out of position. Teeth that keep chipping are not bad luck. They are absorbing force from somewhere.

These are the kinds of problems that do not show up in a standard exam. Not because your previous dentist was careless, but because finding them requires a different kind of investigation. More time. More data. A willingness to look at the whole picture instead of just the tooth that hurts.

That is what the two-hour first visit is for. Not to rush you into treatment. Not to overwhelm you with a treatment plan on your first day. But to finally understand what is actually happening, so that when treatment does begin, it is based on real answers, not assumptions.

Ready to see what a thorough visit feels like?

Your first visit is the beginning — not of treatment, but of understanding. Two hours for Dr. House to see the whole picture. And for you to finally get the answers you have been looking for.

Call us (602) 954-1217

Mon–Thu · 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Arcadia, Phoenix

Your first visit is two hours. Here's why.

Why your first visit is two hours.