New Patient Process
Step 1: Screening
During your screening appointment, we will review your treatment needs and goals, medical and dental history, and complete a brief clinical evaluation.
If you do not have recent dental X‑rays that we can use, new X‑rays will be taken. If you have recent X‑rays from another dental office, please contact that office and ask them to email your X‑rays to oralhealthcenter@une.edu before your first appointment.
Step 2: Comprehensive Oral Evaluation
This is your first official “checkup” and includes a thorough evaluation of your mouth, head, and neck. This step typically takes one to three appointments.
After the Comprehensive Oral Evaluation is complete, we make a final determination about whether we can meet your needs and accept you as an established patient.
Step 3: Treatment Plan Discussion
Your treatment plan may be discussed during your final Comprehensive Oral Evaluation appointment or at a follow‑up visit. During this appointment, treatment options are reviewed, decisions are made collaboratively, and the costs associated with each option are discussed.
Step 4: Treatment Begins
Once a treatment plan is agreed upon, your care will begin.
What Comprehensive Care Means
Comprehensive care involves sequencing treatment based on your oral health needs. This usually begins with a cleaning or deep cleaning, followed by treatment for cavities, extractions, or root canals. Care then progresses to replacing missing teeth (such as dentures, implants, or bridges) and, when appropriate, esthetic treatment. Your treatment plan may change as your oral health needs evolve.
Missed Screening Appointments
Patients who miss a Screening appointment without advance notice will not be permitted to schedule another new‑patient Screening appointment for at least one year. This policy helps ensure access for the many patients seeking care at our clinic.
Please review the following documents for more detailed information about our policies:
Please bring the following to your first appointment
- A valid photo ID card
- Dental and medical insurance cards (if you have insurance)
- A list of medical conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations, medications, and allergies
- Contact information of your primary care medical providers
If you have recent X-rays from another dental office, please contact them and have them email your X-rays to oralhealthcenter@une.edu before your first appointment.
Pediatric Patients
For minor patients (under age 18), a parent or legal guardian must be present at any appointment where treatment options are discussed, consent is required, or forms need to be reviewed and signed.
For appointments that do not involve consent or paperwork, a parent or legal guardian may designate an approved proxy to accompany the minor. This arrangement must be made in advance with an Oral Health Center staff member, and a signed proxy designation form must be on file before the appointment.
Special Circumstances
Power of Attorney, Conservatorship, or Guardianship
If a patient has a legal representative who makes healthcare decisions on their behalf, the appropriate legal documentation must be provided at the Screening appointment. Examples include power‑of‑attorney (POA), conservatorship, or guardianship paperwork.
We strongly prefer that the authorized decision‑maker be present at all appointments. If this is not possible, the decision‑maker must be available by telephone during scheduled appointments.
Interpreter Services
If you require an interpreter, please let us know in advance. We will arrange interpretation in your preferred language at no cost to you, either in person or by phone.
Authorization to Discuss Your Care
If you would like to allow someone else to discuss your care with us, you must request and complete a UNE PHI Authorization for Disclosure Form. We take patient privacy seriously and cannot share information with anyone unless written authorization is on file.
After-Hours Care for Established Patients
For established patients, faculty providers are on call to address urgent issues that arise after hours, on weekends, and during clinic closures.
An emergency phone number is provided in your welcome packet and is also printed on payment receipts and post‑operative instructions. When you call, an answering service will collect relevant information and forward it to the on‑call faculty member.
Once the on‑call faculty member confirms that you are an established patient, they will return your call to discuss your concern.