THE NEW PATIENT EXPERIENCE:

We believe that every person is unique, important, and deserving of time, care, and the knowledge needed to make health care decisions that are informed and in one’s best interest.  To this end, we feel that it is of the utmost importance that when someone becomes a patient in our office, we give him/her our undivided attention.

When you enter our practice as a new patient, we want you to have an experience, unlike anything you’ve had before.  When you make an appointment Dr. Frankel will first meet with you to learn about you, where you have been in your dental life, where you feel you are now (how healthy is your mouth now), and to discover if you have any goals and desired outcomes for the future.  The following is a synopsis of what you can expect when you become a patient in our office.

• Initial Phone Call: When you first phone the office we will have a few questions for you.  We want to find out a bit about you, your needs, and your wants.
• ZOOM/VIRTUAL consult. This is a no-charge initial consult with Dr. Frankel.  His main goal is to get to know you and have you get to know him a little before you come into the office.  We feel that we can’t give you what you want and need unless we know you.  This is a very personalized process. 
• Physical examination: Once the consult is completed, we will schedule you for a comprehensive examination.  We conduct this exam like a “guided tour” of your mouth.  It is a little like visiting a foreign country.  You can look around yourself, or you can hire a guide.  We believe that when you hire a guide you can have a much more enriching experience and learn more about the place you are exploring.  Like that, our aim is to help you gain an appreciation for the health of your mouth.  We call this process “Co-Discovery”.
• INFORMATION and POSSIBILITIES appointment: This appointment follows the complete exam and is usually done via ZOOM.  At this appointment, we will review what we found at your exam, with you.  We want to be certain that you understand the conditions in your mouth and their significance.  At this appointment, we will discuss different levels of dental care, and start to explore your options for care.  Our ultimate purpose is to clarify your desired outcome for the health of your mouth, to discuss various options that exist to help you create health and the consequences of each of your choices.  We call this stage of the process “Co-Diagnosis”.
• This clarification process is ongoing and tailored for your individual needs. We want you to be a part of the process.  This is called “Co-Planning” and we want to help you become as healthy as you would like to be.

We are looking forward to sharing this with you.