Your first visit at Soleil Dental Mesquite

Call (972) 288-3200, or request an appointment online and the front desk will call to confirm. We'll ask for:

• Your name, date of birth, and the best number to reach you
• Whether you have dental insurance, and if so, the plan and member ID
• Whether anything hurts right now
• Whether you get nervous at the dentist, so we can plan for it

If you have insurance, we verify your benefits before you come in, so you'll know what's covered. If you're in pain, say so. You may be better served by an emergency exam first, which is $40 and focused on the problem.

The new patient exam is $80 and includes a full dental exam and the x-rays the dentist needs to see what's going on. If you have insurance, we check your plan first, since most plans treat exams and x-rays as preventive care.

A cleaning isn't part of the exam price. Ask when you book if you'd like one at the same visit. Depending on what the exam shows, the dentist may recommend a regular cleaning or a deeper one. Either way, it's quoted in writing before it happens.

No insurance at all? Ask about the Sunshine Membership: a $110 one-time fee for 2 checkups with x-rays, unlimited limited exams for pain, and 30 to 40% off dental treatment, with no monthly fees.

• A photo ID
• Your dental insurance card, or the subscriber's name, date of birth and employer
• A list of your medications and doses, including supplements
• Recent x-rays from another dentist, if you have them, so we don't repeat what's current
• Reading glasses, if you use them for paperwork
• Your questions. Write them down; it's easy to forget in the chair.

There are no forms to print at home. We handle the new patient paperwork with you at the front desk.

We're at 925 N Bryan-Belt Line Rd, Suite 106, Mesquite, TX 75149. Same building as BioTech Medical Supply, just down the street from the post office. The office is on the ground floor.

Parking is free in the lot right out front. The entrance and restroom are wheelchair accessible, and there's a nursing room if you're bringing a baby.

Plan to arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment time. That's when we go over your paperwork, health history and insurance with you, so your time in the chair starts on time.

1. 01Health history. We go over your medical history and medications, because some conditions and medicines change how dental care is done.
2. 02Digital x-rays. We take the ones that are due. They're quick, and the images come up on the screen in seconds.
3. 03Photos. A small intraoral camera shows close-up pictures of your teeth on the monitor. If something needs attention, you'll see it yourself.
4. 04The exam. Dr. Vazquez or Dr. Aldana checks each tooth, your old fillings and crowns, your gums, your bite and your jaw, and screens for oral cancer.
5. 05The conversation. What's healthy, what to watch, and what needs care now, in English or Spanish, whichever you prefer.

You're welcome to ask to see anything. If something is fine, we'll tell you that too.

If you need treatment, you'll get a written plan that lists each step, the cost, what your insurance is expected to pay, and what you'd owe. We'll tell you what's urgent and what can wait, so you can pace it with your budget and your benefit year.

Nothing gets scheduled without your yes. If you want time to think, take the plan home. If you're weighing options, like dentures or dental implants, you'll get both side by side.

For larger treatment, Sunbit and Cherry offer monthly payments, and you can apply at the office.

It's your mouth and your money. These are good questions at any dental visit, including ours:

• Can you show me what you're seeing on the x-ray or the photo?
• What happens if I wait on this? Is it urgent, or something to watch?
• Is there more than one way to treat it, and how do they compare?
• What will my insurance likely pay, and what will I owe?
• If I can't do everything at once, what should come first?

A good answer is specific. If it isn't, ask again. We'd rather you understand the plan than just agree to it.

Before you leave, the front desk schedules whatever you've chosen and goes over payment. For most healthy mouths, the next checkup and cleaning is about six months out. If you have gum disease or a lot of work in progress, the dentist may suggest seeing you sooner.

If something comes up between visits, like a toothache, a chipped tooth or a lost filling, call (972) 288-3200 first thing. We offer same-day emergency visits when we can, during office hours.

Lots of people come in after years away. Life happens, and so does fear. You won't get a lecture here.

If there's tartar under the gums, the dentist may recommend a deep cleaning over one or two visits instead of a regular cleaning. That's common and nothing to be embarrassed about. Bleeding gums: what's normal and when to worry explains why.

If the dentist makes you anxious, tell us when you book. We can go slowly, explain each step first, and stop whenever you raise your hand. For treatment, nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation are options for the right patients. Is dental sedation right for you? covers both.

We see patients of all ages, so parents and kids can often book back to back. Tell us who's coming when you call and we'll try to line up the times.

Both of our dentists speak Spanish, and so do members of the team. Se habla español.

Our hours: Mon, Wed, Thu 9am to 3pm. Tue 10am to 3pm. Fri to Sun closed.