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New patients

Your first visit starts with clarity, not a sales pitch.

Call the office, complete your forms, bring a few basics, and arrive knowing what happens next. The visit itself is a conversation, a careful exam, and a written plan you can decide about at your own pace.

Call as a new patientInsurance and payment
Dr. D'Addio welcoming a new patient in the front lobby at Dunning Family Dental.

A phone call sets up a simpler visit.

The front desk confirms the right appointment type for your situation, answers insurance questions, and sends the Dental Intel forms before you arrive.

Prepared, not rushed

What happens at the first visit

The scope of the first appointment.

A first visit is not the day everything gets fixed. It is a conversation and an exam. The specific components of the visit vary based on what brought you in, but the standard flow is:

  • Health history and concerns. A short conversation about your medical history, medications, any concerns you brought, and what you want out of your dental care.
  • Comprehensive exam. Dr. D'Addio or Dr. Bauman looks carefully at every tooth, the gums, the bite, and any specific area you mentioned.
  • X-rays where they add information. Not on a fixed schedule. Imaging is used when the visual exam alone cannot tell the story (for example, between-tooth decay, bone level, or the status of prior restorations).
  • A cleaning may or may not happen at the same visit. Whether a cleaning fits into the first appointment depends on schedule length and what the exam reveals; sometimes it is scheduled separately so it can be done properly. Ask when you call and the front desk will confirm.
  • The written plan. If treatment is needed, you leave with a written plan and, where insurance applies, an estimate. You decide what to schedule and when.

Nothing is sold at the exam. If you need time to decide, you take it.

Before your first appointment

How to schedule + what to bring.

A short, plain-language checklist so the visit runs without surprises.

Call to schedule

Call 518-842-3220 during office hours. A short conversation lets the front desk match the right visit type to your situation and answer any insurance question before you arrive.

Forms

After you call, Dental Intel forms are sent by email or text. You can complete them from your phone. If you prefer paper, arrive about ten minutes early and complete them at the office.

Bring

Photo ID, insurance card if applicable, a current medication list, and any specific concerns you want to raise. That is enough to start with the full picture.

Transferring records

Call and give the front desk the name and phone of your prior dentist. The office will request your records on your behalf. You do not need them in hand to schedule.

Insurance preview

Out of network. Clear about what happens next.

Dunning is out of network with dental insurance plans and submits claims to most carriers as a courtesy. You pay the practice at the visit; your insurer makes the final benefit determination and sends reimbursement directly to you. Medicaid and Fidelis are not accepted. For plan-specific questions, call with your details and the front desk will walk through what to expect. The Insurance and Payment page has the full flow.

See how insurance works here

Estimates before treatment

For any work beyond a basic exam, the front desk provides a written estimate that shows the practice fee and the expected reimbursement.

CareCredit is accepted

CareCredit is third-party financing that can spread larger treatment across monthly payments. Approval and terms are set by CareCredit.

Age and referral boundaries

For children, seniors, and complex cases.

  • Children: Dunning sees children as part of family care. There is a practical minimum age at which routine care is offered here, and there are cases where a pediatric dental home is the better fit (very young children, extensive needs, sedation, or complicating medical situations). The ADA and AAPD recommend a first dental visit within six months of the first tooth appearing and no later than the first birthday; call to talk through whether that visit belongs at Dunning or at a pediatric dentist.
  • Seniors: visits are paced to what the patient can tolerate, broken into multiple appointments when helpful, and explained at each step.
  • Specialty work (surgical implant placement, orthodontics, complex root canals, oral surgery beyond routine extractions): referred to trusted specialists. Coordination stays through Dunning.

New patient questions

Practical answers, plainly written.

How do I schedule?
Call 518-842-3220 during office hours. A short call helps the front desk match the right visit type to your situation, confirm what to bring, send Dental Intel forms to your phone or email, and answer insurance questions before you arrive.
Does the first visit include a cleaning?
It may or may not, depending on schedule length and what the exam reveals. Sometimes a cleaning is scheduled separately so it can be done properly rather than rushed. Ask when you call and the front desk will confirm what your first appointment covers.
Will I need X-rays at the first visit?
X-rays are taken when they add information the visual exam cannot provide. The American Dental Association's guidance is that imaging should be based on individual need, not a fixed schedule.
Can I fill out forms at the office?
Yes. Dental Intel forms arrive by email or text after you call; if you prefer paper forms, arrive about ten minutes early and the front desk will help you.
What should I bring?
Photo ID, insurance card if applicable, and a current medication list. That is enough for the team to start with the full picture.
How do I transfer my records from a previous dentist?
Call the office and give the front desk the name and phone of your previous dentist. The office will request your records on your behalf. Most offices send them within a week. You do not need the records in hand to schedule a first visit; bring whatever you have.
Do you accept my insurance?
Dunning is out of network with dental insurance plans and submits claims to most carriers as a courtesy. You pay the practice at the visit; your insurer processes the claim and sends reimbursement directly to you on their own schedule. CareCredit, HSA, and FSA cards are accepted. Medicaid and Fidelis are not. See the insurance and payment page for the full flow, or call 518-842-3220 with your plan for a realistic estimate.
Do you offer emergency appointments?
Yes. Call the office and describe what is happening; the front desk will triage the situation and find the earliest appropriate opening. See the Emergency Dentistry page for red flags that belong in the emergency department first.
What if I have not been to the dentist in years?
That is common and the visit does not change because of it. It starts with listening and a careful exam, not judgment. The plan builds from where you are today. The Returning to the Dentist blog post walks through the specifics.

Start with a phone call.

The front desk will guide the right appointment type, timing, and forms so the first visit feels prepared and focused.

Call as a new patient
Dunning Family Dental 310 Jansen Avenue Johnstown, NY 12095 (518) 842-3220

Honest dentistry for families who want the long view.

518-842-3220 Call now