Your First Appointment

We believe no two patients are alike. We take pride in learning how we can make a difference for each and every patient, as the goals you have are unique to you.  We believe in taking the time to listen and understand your long-term goals, your vision for your oral and overall health, your expectations, timelines and life circumstances because we realize that all of these factors affect your ability to choose and follow through with comprehensive dentistry. We find that individuals strive for different levels of health and we honor that.  We want to help you reach the best level of health for you and hope you’ll choose excellence. Any patient can achieve excellence, if we continually build toward that goal, by keeping quality the constant and time the variable.

There are a number of reasons to visit a dentist. Many of our patients come to us seeking regular hygienic care, while others have sought us for our expertise in reconstructive and cosmetic dentistry. A few have even contacted us in severe discomfort. Whatever the reason, our trained experienced staff will help make your first appointment appropriate to your needs and desires.

Our Comprehensive Examination

Our approach to dentistry is proactive. People plan many important things in life, but rarely for a future of health. We believe most aspects of health can be planned and we enjoy helping our patients look 10-20 years into their future and envisioning what they would like to have happen. Good health doesn’t happen by accident and if you’re not moving toward health, you are likely breaking down. We believe in looking at our patients’ health comprehensively in order to help our patients achieve their preferred future goals. To this end, we perform a very thorough oral examination.

Our comprehensive exam is a two-part exam.  On the first visit we discuss your goals and discuss our beliefs and philosophy as well as yours.  We then take the necessary records to find out where you are currently. This visit typically takes two hours. On the second visit, we review these records with you.  Once you understand your current condition, we listen for the changes you think you’d like to make and help you develop a plan to get from where you are to where you want to be.  We really enjoy this process and so do our patients.

Cosmetic Consultation & The “Trial Smile”

This meeting includes an initial consultation with Dr. Hagood, a limited oral examination and a series of limited records, including digital photo images taken of your smile and teeth. Although, this exam is not complete, we are able to generally assess your oral condition, offer cosmetic and restorative suggestions, give a ballpark estimate of costs involved, and recommend the steps required before beginning treatment. This exam typically takes two hours.

We understand how helpful it is to see how you will appear and feel with your beautiful new smile, and one of the helpful tools during this limited cosmetic consultation is to perform a procedure called a “Trial Smile”.  To prepare you’re your trial smile, Dr. Hagood temporarily places cosmetic bonding material over your existing teeth, and expertly shapes the “new” teeth. This is done in a matter of minutes, and no numbing or tooth preparation is needed. One look at your new smile will tell you what a thousand words could not explain. The trial smile gives Dr. Hagood a reference for future work, and allows him to estimate the number of teeth and cost involved.

Emergency Appointments

Any dental emergency like an injury to the teeth or gums can be potentially serious and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental problem can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for more extensive and expensive treatment down the road. Dr. Hagood and his staff are highly trained in treating all common emergencies, including toothaches, chipped or broken teeth, knocked-out teeth, extruded (a partially dislodged tooth), objects caught between teeth or under the gum, lost fillings, lost crowns, lost temporaries, broken braces wire, abscesses, TMJ pain, swelling, and soft tissue injuries to the lips, cheek, and gum.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency please contact Vero Beach Art of Dentistry immediately. We will make arrangements to treat your dental emergency as soon as possible.

Our Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

We are highly trained in diagnosis and treatment planning and believe that these are the most valuable services we can provide. Once we have a goal for the future and have properly diagnosed the problems, we think through all the details of treatment options and their resultant effects on the rest of the system. It takes time to develop an appropriate strategic plan, but with an excellent, properly sequenced plan, achieving the patients’ desired outcomes is assured. We are trained to diagnose the needs for all aspects of dentistry, even though we might not treat them all.  We work closely with a team of specialists and lab technicians to provide the best outcome for our patients.

Please contact our office for the appointment that is appropriate for you.