New Patient Forms

Many of our patients tell us that their first visit was "unlike any other office I have been to, it was so thorough." We take pride in practicing "Compete Dentistry" and it begins at your initial visit:

Upon your arrival one of our staff members will seat you in one of our treatment rooms. Your initial visit will provide you an opportunity to discuss your concerns and goals regarding your dental care. You will have over an hour of attention from Dr. Paulson and his assistant to listen to your specific concerns, review your medical and dental history and of course perform a Complete Exam.

The Complete Exam will include an evaluation of both the hard and soft tissues of the masticatory system. Teeth will be checked for cavities, broken and failing fillings, cracks and excessive wear. The gum tissue will be examined for signs of gingivitis and periodontal disease. A recommendation will be made concerning the type and length of follow-up cleaning appointment you will need. The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) and it's associated structures will be evaluated for any signs of dysfunction. The final aspect of the Complete Exam is an Oral Cancer Screening and possible in office Brush Biopsy if deemed necessary. Before the exam is completed, a series of digital photos and x-rays will be taken to assist Dr. Paulson in his evaluation.

Depending on the complexity of your case, models nay be needed and thus impressions of your teeth made. We will then schedule a treatment presentation appointment in 1-2 weeks. This allows Dr. Paulson adequate time to review your case and develop the appropriate treatment plan. We believe in complete care, as opposed to repairing things one by one without determining how all parts of the systems relate to one another. If your case is less complex we may begin treatment as soon as possible without scheduling an additional consultation appointment.

We look forward to seeing you soon. New Patient Forms are available to download and complete prior to your initial visit with us.

Insurance & Payments

At the Grand Traverse Smile Center we participate with the following Dental Insurance Companies: Met Life, Delta Dental, Dentemax and its Subsidiary Dental Networks including Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Lincoln Financial Group, and Guardian and its Subsidiary Dental Networks.  We do not accept Medicaid but we do participate with the MI Child and Healthy Kids programs.  For all other policies that we are not a participant we will courtesy bill your insurance company for you and collect from you only your co-payment amount for that service.  With any insurance policy, it is your responsibility to review and understand what benefits and limitations are part of that policy.  We can help you if you have questions but ultimately it is your policy and you need to understand it completely prior to consenting to any dental treatment in order to avoid any financial confusion.