Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling Appointments – What to Know Before You Book

Helping Us Provide the Best Care for Your Child

Dear Parents,

At Columbus Pediatric Dentistry, we carefully schedule each appointment to give your child the focused care they deserve. To help us stay on time and provide a calm, positive environment for every family, we’ve outlined a few important scheduling policies below.

These guidelines help us work efficiently while supporting your child’s experience—and we’re here to make the process easy and smooth for you.

Arrival Times

Please make every effort to arrive on time for your appointment. By keeping us up-to-date onyou’re your current contact information, we are able to send you appointment reminders via text, email, and phone calls. Please arrive:

• 20 minutes early for your child’s first visit
• 10 minutes early for all other appointments

This allows time to update records and ensures your child gets their full appointment.

Late Arrivals & Cancellations

If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, your child’s appointment may need to be rescheduled, or we may not be able to complete all planned treatment during the visit.

Please keep in mind, we reserve specific time and staff for each patient so if you are late or do not show up, you are taking time away from other patients. If this becomes a pattern of behavior, we will limit the times your appointment may be scheduled or result in dismissal of your family from our practice.

Appointment Confirmations

We require a minimum of two business days (48 hours) notice to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If we do not receive confirmation, your appointment may be released and offered to another patient. Appointments canceled with less than two business days’ notice, or missed without notice, are subject to a no-show fee of $50 per child.

Rescheduling Appointments

We kindly ask for at least 2 business days (48 hours) notice so we can offer that time to another family.

Missed Appointments:

• Appointments canceled with less than 48 hours’ notice or missed without calling are considered “no-shows.”
• Missed appointments and same-day cancellations are subject to a $50 fee.
• If your child misses their first visit or referral appointment without any notice or effort in communicating with our office, we are unable to offer future appointments.
• After two missed or short-notice cancellations, we are unable to offer future appointments.

Optimal Appointment Times

• Young children and patients requiring longer or more involved treatment often do best in the mornings.
• Longer visits (exams, restorative treatment) may be scheduled in the morning.
• School absences for dental visits are considered excused, and documentation can be provided upon request.
• Families may schedule up to two siblings together in the same appointment block. We are unable to accommodate more than two siblings at the same time to ensure each child receives the attention they deserve.

General Anesthesia Appointments

For children receiving treatment under general anesthesia at Columbus Community Hospital, it’s essential to follow all instructions carefully, including no food or drink (NPO) guidelines. If these are not followed or the appointment is missed, we will be unable to reschedule any care at our office.

Occasional Delays

We value your time and try hard to keep our schedule running smoothly. Occasionally, a child may need extra attention, or we may handle a dental emergency—thank you for your understanding if delays occur.