Your First Dental Visit at Westside Dental Center: What to Expect and What to Bring

Short answer: A first dental visit at Westside Dental Center takes about an hour. The team reviews your health history, takes a full set of digital X-rays and a 3D scan of your teeth, and the dentist examines your teeth and gums. Then the doctor explains what they found and your options. Bring your insurance card and your questions.

Booking a dental appointment for the first time, or the first time in years, can feel like a big step. This guide explains what happens at your first dental visit at Westside Dental Center in Plantation, how long it takes, what to bring, what it costs, and how to find the office.

A new patient dental exam is a longer, more complete first appointment than a routine checkup. It gives the dentist a full picture of your oral health, so any plan fits your mouth and your goals.

How Do You Book Your First Dental Visit?

You can book online at any time, or call or text the team at (954) 476-4535. When you book, it helps to mention:

• Your dental insurance, so the team can check your coverage before you come in.
• Any pain or a specific problem. Westside sees dental emergencies the same day, so say if something hurts. The emergency dentist page explains what to do in the meantime.
• If you feel nervous. The team will plan around it (more on that below).
• If you'd like to speak Spanish. Dr. Manuela Hurtado is fluent in English and Spanish, and hygienist Yliana Rojas serves Spanish-speaking patients.

If the team sends you new patient forms, fill them in before your visit so check-in is quicker. Haven't received yours? Call or text the office.

What Should You Bring to Your First Dentist Appointment?

Bring your dental insurance card and your questions. Those are the two things the Westside team asks for, and the rest of this checklist saves time on the day:

1. Your dental insurance card, so the team can file your benefits the same day.
2. Your new patient forms, filled in, if you received them.
3. A list of your medicines and allergies. Your visit starts with a review of your medical history, and changes in your overall health can affect your mouth.
4. Recent dental X-rays, if another office took them. Bring them, or ask that office to send them.
5. Your questions. Write them down so you don't forget. The team encourages every new patient to ask anything.

Please share detailed health information with the team in person at your visit, not through website forms.

What Happens During a New Patient Dental Exam?

At Westside Dental Center, a new patient visit includes a comprehensive exam, a full set of X-rays, a digital scan of your teeth, and an evaluation by the doctor. Here's how it usually flows.

1. A Conversation About Your Health and Goals

The visit starts with talking. The team reviews your medical history and medicines, asks about any pain or sensitivity, and asks what you'd like to change about your smile. The American Dental Association notes that dental teams begin with your recent medical history, because medical conditions can affect dental health.

2. Digital X-Rays, With an AI-Assisted Review

X-rays help the dentist find problems that can't be seen during the exam and track your oral health over time. Westside uses digital X-rays and Overjet AI, an FDA-cleared tool that highlights possible findings on your images. The dentist, not the software, reviews every finding and makes every treatment decision.

Dental X-rays use very low doses of radiation, and the ADA recommends taking them only when they give the dentist information they need. Overjet AI only analyzes the images, so it adds no radiation. You can read more about the scanner and imaging on our dental technology page.

3. A 3D Digital Scan Instead of Putty

Instead of trays filled with putty, the team uses an iTero digital scanner to capture a 3D model of your teeth in minutes, with no mess and no gagging. The scan feeds straight into your treatment plan.

4. A Comprehensive Exam of Your Teeth and Gums

The dentist checks:

• Each tooth for decay, cracks, and worn or failing fillings
• Your gums, with a gum health assessment that looks for signs of gum disease
• Existing dental work, such as crowns, bridges, or implants
• Your bite and jaw for signs of grinding or clenching
• Your lips, cheeks, tongue, and throat, as part of the oral cancer screening the ADA describes as a routine part of a dental checkup

5. Your Results and Options, in Plain Language

Once the exam is done, the doctor walks you through what they found, what's urgent, and what can wait. You'll get clear, jargon-free explanations of your options and their costs before any treatment begins, and you don't have to decide anything on the spot.

If you're replacing missing teeth, our guide to how much dental implants cost explains typical price ranges.

How Long Does a First Dental Visit Take?

Plan for about an hour. That leaves time for your health history, X-rays, the scan, the exam, and a real conversation about your results. Later hygiene visits are usually shorter.

Times are typical and depend on your needs.

Will You Get a Teeth Cleaning at Your First Visit?

It depends on what the exam finds. Healthy gums need a routine cleaning, usually every six months. If your gums bleed or the pockets around your teeth have deepened, you may need a deep cleaning, also called scaling and root planing, which cleans below the gumline so your gums can heal.

The doctor will explain which cleaning fits your gums. For more advanced gum problems, board-certified periodontist Dr. Sawan Malik provides gum disease treatment in the same office. Learn more about teeth cleaning at Westside.

How Much Does a First Dental Visit Cost?

It depends on your insurance. With a PPO plan, your cost depends on your benefits. Without insurance, Westside's New Patient Special is $99.

With Dental Insurance

Dr. Uttma Dham is an in-network provider with most PPO plans. The team will check your coverage, file your claim at the time of your visit, and help you estimate your portion. Not sure about your plan? Call or text (954) 476-4535.

Without Dental Insurance

• New Patient Special, $99: a comprehensive exam, a full set of X-rays, a digital scan, and an evaluation by the doctor, for new patients without dental insurance. See our special offers for current details.
• In-house dental plan: built around the cleaning you need, at $449 for routine cleanings, $649 for periodontal maintenance, or $1,549 for scaling and root planing.
• Monthly financing for qualified patients through CareCredit, Proceed Finance, Cherry, or LendingClub Patient Solutions, plus phased treatment plans for larger cases.
• HSA and FSA funds, cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

All the options are on the insurance and financing page. Offer details can change, so confirm them with the team before your visit.

THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT THAT IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT.

What If You Haven't Been to the Dentist in Years?

You're not alone, and you don't need to explain or apologize. About one in three U.S. adults didn't have a dental exam or cleaning in the past year, according to CDC data from the 2025 National Health Interview Survey. The team's job is to help you get back on track, not to judge.

These steps can make the first visit easier:

• Say how you feel when you book. Telling your dentist about your anxiety is the first tip in the ADA's advice on dental fear, and the Westside team will plan around it.
• Agree on a stop signal. Raising your hand is an easy way to ask for a break.
• Ask questions anytime. Knowing what comes next makes each step less stressful.
• Use the comfort options. The office offers blankets and pillows, Netflix and Amazon movies, noise-cancelling headphones, heated eye massagers, and aromatherapy. Nitrous oxide is available for an additional fee, and sedation options are available for many treatments.
• Take it one step at a time. One visit gives you answers and a plan. Larger cases can be done in phases, so you don't have to fix everything at once.

How Do You Get to Westside Dental Center?

Westside Dental Center is at 51 NW 100 Ave, Plantation, FL 33324. Search "Westside Dental Center" in Google Maps or Apple Maps for turn-by-turn directions. Patients visit from Plantation, Sunrise, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Cooper City, and across South Florida.

Ready for your first visit? Book online, or call or text (954) 476-4535.