Your First Visit

In Santa Fe, New Mexico

Robert L. Wartell, DDS
Kristine Berg Ali, DMD
Sandraluz Gonzales, RDH

Your First Visit

In most cases, your first visit will be a comprehensive evaluation that may last up to 2 hours. Most of our patients say they have never before had such a thorough examination. The state dental practice act does not permit us to clean your teeth until your have had an examination. Usually, the services and approximate times for the first visit are as follows:

Completion of health history and insurance information
You may save time by completing the forms online. 20 minutes

Review of Medical & Dental History
We will ask you about your dental and medical history and what you would like us to do for you. 15 to 40 minutes

Examination of teeth, gums, bite, jaw joints, and muscles
Our doctors will examine your jaw joints, muscles, bite, oral soft tissues, teeth, and gums, as well as taking closeup digital photographs of your teeth. 30 to 40 minutes

Digital X-ray examination (No film placed in your mouth)
We use digital X-ray equipment with the lowest radiation exposure of any equipment used in dentistry or medicine. Our panoramic machine can show us all of your teeth and jaws with only half the exposure of 2 individual bitewing X-rays. There is no gagging, choking, or pain, because no film is placed into your mouth. Our staff will take any necessary X-rays, based on your previous X-rays that are available to us, and your current needs. Please ask your prior dentist to send us copies of all of your X-rays in their possession. Many dental offices must be prodded to send copies of your X-rays and records. They may say to you that we only need your most recent X-rays. In fact, it is only by viewing all of your X-rays that we can determine if a disease process in your teeth and gums is an active process that must be treated, or a stable situation that does not need to be treated. 5 minutes

Digital Photographs
Our staff will take a number of digital close-up photographs of your teeth, mouth, and face, to aid in diagnosis. 5 to 10 minutes.

Impressions for diagnostic models, wax bite relation, and facebow records
If any of these are needed to aid in your diagnosis, this will add 15 to 20 minutes.

This first visit does not include a dental prophylaxis (teeth cleaning.)
Until our doctors have evaluated you and made a diagnosis, they will not know what treatments you need, or if a prophylaxis is your highest oral priority.

New Mexico law states that an examination must be performed by a dentist before a dental cleaning may be done.

We enjoy answering your questions. For more information,
please call us at505-474-4644

Center For Dental Medicine • 2019 Galisteo St. • J2 • Santa Fe, NM 87505

(Behind Los Alamos National Bank, St. Michael's & Galisteo) Map

You may contact us by:
phone: 505-474-4644
Email Us
postal: 2019 Galisteo St., J2, Santa Fe, NM 87505