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New patients, welcome.

First visits set the tone, so we make yours calm and unhurried. Here is what to expect.

A young patient smiling at Locust Dental Group, holding a toothbrush and a model tooth

Your first visit, step by step

Reach out

Call or send the form. Tell us a good time and we will find a spot that works.

Your first visit

X-rays, a full exam, and a cleaning if you need one. Gentle the whole way through.

A plan that fits

You leave with a clear plan, the cost up front, and your next visits booked at your pace.

“We take care of our patients as if they are our family.”

The Locust Dental Group promise

Your paperwork comes to you

Once your visit is booked, we send your new patient forms to complete on your phone or computer through our secure patient portal. Prefer paper? We will have them ready at the desk.

A few minutes

Short and straightforward, before you ever sit in the waiting room.

Any device

Phone, tablet, or computer, whenever it suits you.

Secure and private

Handled in our patient portal, not on this website.

What to bring

Three things, and you are set. Tap each one as you gather it.

0 of 3 ready

Text me this list

Do you take my insurance?

Most people call to ask. This is faster.

The practical part, made painless

Insurance

We take nearly all insurance, including Ohio Medicaid, and file the paperwork for you. No insurance? Ask about our pre-payment and senior discounts.

Financing

Need to spread out the cost? Cherry payment plans break treatment into monthly payments.

Nervous patients

Tell us. We slow down, explain more, and take as much time as you need.

Curious about a straighter smile?

Take our 30-second Smile Check to see if clear aligners through OrthoBrain could be a fit. No obligation, and we confirm everything at your visit.

Take the Smile Check

Questions new patients ask

We take nearly all types of insurance including Medicaid.

You can definitely be seen with same day emergency care and walks-ins are welcome.

We are a FAMILY dental practice that treats patients of ALL ages. We do silver fillings, white fillings, crowns, dentures, partials, repair dentures, root canals, extractions, wisdom teeth removal, implants, teeth whitening, mouth guards, children’s dentistry, senior citizen dentistry.

The brand of the toothbrush is not as critical as the type of bristle and the size of the head. A soft toothbrush with a small head is recommended because medium and hard brushes tend to cause irritation and contribute to recession of the gums, and a small head allows you to get around each tooth more completely and is less likely to injure your gums. It’s unnecessary to “scrub” the teeth as long as you are brushing at least twice a day and visiting your dentist at least twice a year for cleanings.

Generally, no. However, it’s advisable to use a fluoride containing toothpaste to decrease the incidence of dental decay. We recommend our patients use what tastes good to them as long as it contains fluoride.

Flossing of the teeth once per day helps to prevent cavities from forming between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing also helps to keep your gums healthy.

These are restorations to repair a severely broken tooth by covering all or most of the tooth after removing old fillings, fractured tooth structure and all decay. The restoration material is made of gold, porcelain, composites, or even stainless steel. Dentists refer to all of these restorations as “crowns.” However, patients often refer to the tooth-colored ones as “caps” and the gold or stainless steel ones as “crowns.”

Both bridges and partial dentures replace missing teeth. A bridge is permanently attached to the teeth or, in some cases, implants. A partial denture is attached by clasps to the teeth and is easily removed by the patient. Patients are usually more satisfied with bridges than with partial dentures.

No. While most teeth which have had root canal treatments do need crowns to strengthen the teeth and to return the teeth to normal form and function, not every tooth needing a crown needs to have a root canal.