Walking into a new dental office can feel like stepping into the unknown. You might not know the dentist yet, you’re unsure what to expect, and often you’re sitting there wondering, “Am I asking the right questions?”
Here’s the truth: the patients who get the best long-term results are the ones who ask good questions. The ones who are curious. The ones who don’t just nod along but want to understand why something is recommended.
So if you’re a new patient, here are the three questions I believe are the most important to ask your Premier Dental of Ohio dentist on your very first visit.
This is the big one.
Most of what happens in your mouth—good or bad—doesn’t happen in the dental chair. It happens at home, every day, in the routines you build.
I tell patients that about 60% of oral health is influenced by genetics—things like how much saliva you produce, the shape of your jaw, or a natural predisposition to gum disease. Those are things neither you nor I can change. But the other 40%? That’s all about habits and diet. And that’s where you have tremendous control.
💡 Patient Tip: Don’t just ask if you should be brushing or flossing. Ask how you should be brushing and flossing. Technique matters.
⚖️ Why It Matters: By owning your daily habits, you create the foundation for everything else we do together in the office. Without that, the best treatments in the world won’t last.
You spend maybe 2–3 hours a year in the dental chair. What happens in those hours matters, but it should be working in partnership with everything you’re doing at home.
This question opens the door to what’s called informed consent—your right to know all the treatment options, including the risks, benefits, and even the option of doing nothing.
Too often in dentistry, a crown or filling is presented as a done deal: “You have a cavity, here’s the fix.” But dentistry isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes there are three or four different treatment paths. Sometimes cost, durability, or even your personal goals (like wanting a cosmetic fix before your kid’s wedding) shape the best choice for you.
💡 Patient Tip: Always ask your dentist, “What are all of my options?” If you only hear two choices when five exist, then you’re not making an informed decision—someone else is making it for you.
⚖️ Why It Matters: Understanding your options builds trust and puts you in the driver’s seat of your care.
This is the question most patients don’t ask—and it’s the one that can save the most frustration down the road.
In medicine, patients sign stacks of forms before a surgery that spell out every possible risk. In dentistry, we’ve historically done a poor job of that. Too often it’s: “You have a cavity, we’ll fix it,” and that’s the end of the conversation.
But every procedure—from fillings to crowns to implants—has possible downsides. Teeth are small, living structures, and sometimes they don’t respond exactly the way we expect.
💡 Patient Tip: Ask, “Where could this go wrong, and what can I do to improve the chances of success?”
⚖️ Why It Matters: Anything we talk about before treatment is a diagnosis. Anything we only talk about after treatment can feel like an excuse. By asking upfront, you avoid surprises and create realistic expectations.
The patients who get the best outcomes aren’t the ones who sit quietly and hope for the best. They’re the ones who come in with curiosity, ask the right questions, and see their oral health as a partnership with their dentist.
If you’re new to a dental office, start with these three questions:
Simple questions, yes. But they set the stage for transparency, trust, and a healthier smile for years to come. Ready to take the next step? Learn more about what to expect on our New Patients page.
