Specialist consultations in this market are free, which makes comparing clinics genuinely low-risk. Here is what a complete first visit should include — at our clinic and anywhere else you go.
What the visit includes
- Records — photographs, and usually a panoramic X-ray and 3D scan. Real diagnosis needs data, not a glance.
- A specialist examination — teeth, bite, jaw function, and airway-aware screening of breathing and sleep patterns.
- Every option, with trade-offs — including doing nothing, or waiting. Aligner candidates should see a digital simulation before committing.
- Written numbers — a complete quote per option covering records, all visits, retainers and revisions, plus payment-plan terms and insurance mapping.
Before you book, know this
- No referral is needed to see a specialist in BC
- Consultations are free — never pay to be assessed
- “Nothing yet, see you in a year” is a real answer for kids
- You should never be pressured to sign the same day
- Bring both insurance booklets if the family has two plans
How to book
Call (604) 949-0654, or use the online consultation request. The clinic is at 1158 The High St #106 at Coquitlam Centre, with underground parking off Atlantic Ave and Saturday hours. Bring the 12-question checklist — good clinics welcome it.
Booking more than one
We'd encourage it. Two free consultations is the single most useful thing you can do before a five-figure, two-year decision — the choosing framework explains what to compare, and second opinions covers when a third is worth the hour.
What happens after you book
Our coordinator confirms the time and asks a few questions — who the patient is, what prompted the visit, whether a dentist referred you, your benefit plan — so the appointment itself is spent on the examination rather than paperwork. If you have recent X-rays, we'll ask your dentist to send them so we don't repeat them. On the day, allow about an hour; children's assessments are shorter. You'll leave with a written plan or a recall date, and no pressure either way.
Booking for more than one child
Say so, and we'll schedule the siblings back to back — a Saturday or an early morning if that's what the family needs. Two children in the assessment window can be looked at in the same visit, and the family's insurance coverage mapped once for both. What a child's first visit involves is worth a read beforehand; the twelve questions are worth bringing.