The first visit is
just a conversation.
No instruments. No cleaning. No clipboard ambush at the door. The first time we meet, we sit down — fully clothed, upright — and you tell us where you've been.
What actually happens, in order.
- Before you arrive
We call you first.
A few days ahead, someone real — not a robocall — phones to ask what would make this easier. A morning slot? A quiet room? A friend in the chair beside you? Tell us then, in your own words, instead of on a form.
- Walking in
Tea, not a clipboard.
There's no sliding glass window and no stack of paperwork shoved through it. You'll be offered something warm and shown to a room that looks more like a study than a surgery. Sit wherever you like.
- We talk
You do most of the talking.
We ask what happened, what you're dreading, and what went wrong somewhere before. We listen far more than we speak. Nothing is examined and nothing is touched — unless and until you decide you're ready.
- A look — only if you want one
On your say-so, never ours.
If you'd like, we'll take a gentle look. You stay sitting up, you can hold the mirror yourself, and we narrate everything a beat before it happens. Raise a hand and we stop on the spot. No look at all is a perfectly good first visit.
- What happens next
A plan, or none at all.
We'll lay out what we'd suggest and what it would cost — in plain numbers, written down. Then you go home and think it over. Booking anything further is always, entirely, up to you. There is no pressure to rebook at the desk.
Six things that simply will not happen here.
Not as a slogan on the wall — as a standing promise from everyone who works here. Hold us to it.
- No lectures about how long it has been.
- Nothing starts without your clear yes.
- The price comes before the procedure — never after.
- No sighs, no tutting, no being made to feel like a problem.
- We stop the moment you ask. Every time, no questions.
- Whatever you decide today is the right amount.
Small things, offered without you having to ask.
Noise-cancelling headphones
Your music, a podcast, or just the sound of nothing at all.
The stop signal
Raise a hand and everything pauses instantly. It is yours to use as often as you need.
Shade for the light
Sunglasses so the overhead lamp never glares into your eyes.
Breaks whenever
Sit up, stretch, breathe, reset. We are genuinely not on a clock.
Bring your person
A friend or partner can sit right beside you the whole time.
Sedation, if you want it
From a calming pill to deeper sleep — explained plainly, never pushed.
The practical bits, so nothing catches you off guard.
You can stop reading here and just book — but if knowing the details ahead of time settles your nerves, here they are.
- How long
- About 45 unhurried minutes. We never double-book, so the time is only ever yours.
- What it costs
- The first conversation is free. If we look, we'll tell you the price of anything before it happens.
- What to bring
- Just yourself. A list of any medications helps if it is handy — but please do not turn the house over for it.
- Getting here
- 148 Birch Row, in Southeast Portland. Street parking right on Birch, and the 15 bus stops a block away on Belmont.
- Your old records
- With your okay, we'll request your X-rays from a previous dentist for you. You don't have to make that awkward call yourself.
- Bringing someone
- Always welcome — a partner, a friend, a parent. The more it takes to feel calm, the better.