The office attempts to schedule appointments at your convenience and when time is available. Preschool children should be seen in the morning because they are fresher and we can work more slowly with the child for their comfort. School children with a lot of work to be done should be seen in the morning for the same reason. Dental appointments are an excused absence. Missing school can be kept to a minimum when regular dental care is continued.

Since appointed times are reserved exclusively for each patient we ask that you please notify our office 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep your appointment otherwise we reserve the right to charge for time reserved. Another patient who needs our care could be scheduled if we have sufficient time to notify them. We realize that unexpected things can happen, but we ask for your assistance in this regard.
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Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. Every effort will be made to provide a treatment plan which fits your timetable and budget, and gives your child the best possible care. We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards and most major credit cards.

If we have received all of your insurance information on the day of the appointment, we will be happy to file your claim for you. You must be familiar with your insurance benefits, as we will collect from you the estimated amount insurance is not expected to pay. By law your insurance company is required to pay each claim within 30 days of receipt. We file all insurance electronically so your insurance company will receive each claim within days of the treatment. You are responsible for any balance on your account after 30 days, whether insurance has paid or not. If you have not paid your balance within 60 days a re-billing fee of 1.5% will be added to your account each month until paid. We will be glad to send a refund to you if your insurance pays us.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we file dental insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We do not have a contract with your insurance company, only you do. We are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment, we at no time guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with each claim. We also can not be responsible for any errors in filing your insurance, once again we file claims as a courtesy to you.

Fact 1 - NO INSURANCE PAYS 100% OF ALL PROCEDURES
Dental insurance is meant to be an aid in receiving dental care. Many patients think that their insurance pays 90%-100% of all dental fees. This is not true! Most plans only pay between 50%-80% of the average total fee. Some pay more, some pay less. The percentage paid is usually determined by how much you or your employer has paid for coverage or the type of contract your employer has set up with the insurance company.

Fact 2 - BENEFITS ARE NOT DETERMINED BY OUR OFFICE
You may have noticed that sometimes your dental insurer reimburses you or the dentist at a lower rate than the dentist's actual fee. Frequently, insurance companies state that the reimbursement was reduced because your dentist's fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee ("UCR") used by the company.

A statement such as this gives the impression that any fee greater than the amount paid by the insurance company is unreasonable or well above what most dentists in the area charge for a certain service. This can be very misleading and simply is not accurate.

Insurance companies set their own schedules and each company uses a different set of fees they consider allowable. These allowable fees may vary widely because each company collects fee information from claims it processes. The insurance company then takes this data and arbitrarily chooses a level they call the "allowable" UCR Fee. Frequently this data can be three to five years old and these "allowable" fees are set by the insurance company so they can make a net 20%-30% profit.

Unfortunately, insurance companies imply that your dentist is "overcharging" rather than say that they are "underpaying" or that their benefits are low. In general, the less expensive insurance policy will use a lower usual, customary, or reasonable (UCR) figure.

Fact 3 - DEDUCTIBLES & CO-PAYMENTS MUST BE CONSIDERED
When estimating dental benefits, deductibles and percentages must be considered. To illustrate, assume the fee for service is $150.00. Assuming that the insurance company allows $150.00 as its usual and customary (UCR) fee, we can figure out what benefits will be paid. First a deductible (paid by you), on average $50, is subtracted, leaving $100.00. The plan then pays 80% for this particular procedure. The insurance company will then pay 80% of $100.00, or $80.00. Out of a $150.00 fee they will pay an estimated $80.00 leaving a remaining portion of $70.00 (to be paid by the patient). Of course, if the UCR is less than $150.00 or your plan pays only at 50% then the insurance benefits will also be significantly less.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment.

Care of the Mouth after Local Anesthetic

If the procedure was in the lower jaw the  tongue,  teeth,  lip and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.

If the procedure was in the upper jaw the  teeth,  lip and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.

Often, children do not understand the effects of local anesthesia, and may chew, scratch, suck, or play with the numb lip, tongue, or cheek.  These actions can cause minor irritations or they can be severe enough to cause swelling and abrasions to the tissue. 

Monitor your child closely for approximately two hours following the appointment.   It is often wise to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions.
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Care of the Mouth after Trauma

Please keep the traumatized area as-clean-as possible.  A soft wash cloth often works well during healing to aid the process. 

Watch for darkening of traumatized teeth.  This could be an indication of a dying nerve (pulp).

If the swelling should re-occur, our office needs to see the patient as-soon-as possible.  Ice should be administered during the first 24 hours to keep the swelling to a minimum.

Watch for infection (gum boils) in the area of trauma.  If infection is noticed - call the office so the patient can be seen as-soon-as possible.

Maintain a soft diet for two to three days, or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again.

Avoid sweets or foods that are extremely hot or cold.

If antibiotics or pain medicines are prescribed, be sure to follow the prescription as directed.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions.
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Care of the Mouth after Extractions

Do not scratch , chew, suck, or rub the lips, tongue, or cheek while they feel numb or asleep.  The child should be watched closely so he/she does not injure his/her lip, tongue, or cheek before the anesthesia wears off. 

Do not rinse the mouth for several hours.

Do not spit excessively.

Do not drink a carbonated beverage (Coke, Sprite, etc.) for the remainder of the day.

Do not drink through a straw.

Keep fingers and tongue away from the extraction area.

Bleeding - Some bleeding is to be expected.  If unusual or sustained bleeding occurs, place cotton gauze firmly over the extraction area and bite down or hold in place for fifteen minutes.  This can also be accomplished with a tea bag.  Repeat if necessary.

Maintain a soft diet for a day or two, or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again.

Avoid strenuous exercise or physical activity for several hours after the extraction.

Pain - For discomfort use Children's Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for the age of the child.  If a medicine was prescribed, then follow the directions on the bottle.

Please do not hesitate to contact the office if there are any questions.
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Care of Sealants

By forming a thin covering over the pits and fissures, sealants keep out plaque and food, thus decreasing the risk of decay.  Since, the covering is only over the biting surface of the tooth, areas on the side and between teeth cannot be coated with the sealant.  Good oral hygiene and nutrition are still very important in preventing decay next to these sealants or in areas unable to be covered.

Your child should refrain from eating ice or hard candy, which tend to fracture the sealant.  Regular dental appointments are recommended in order for your child's dentist to be certain the sealants remain in place. 

The American Dental Association recognizes that sealants can play an important role in the prevention of tooth decay.  When properly applied and maintained, they can successfully protect the chewing surfaces of your child's teeth.  A total prevention program includes regular visits to the dentist, the use of fluoride, daily brushing and flossing, and limiting the number of times sugar-rich foods are eaten.  If these measures are followed and sealants are used on the child's teeth, the risk of decay can be reduced or may even be eliminated!
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Oral Discomfort after a Cleaning

A thorough cleaning unavoidably produces some bleeding and swelling and may cause some tenderness or discomfort.  This is not due to a "rough cleaning" but, to tender and inflamed gums from insufficient oral hygiene.  We recommend the following for 2-3 days after cleaning was performed:

1)  A warm salt water rinse 2 - 3 times per day 
    (1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water)

2)  For discomfort use Children's Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as
     directed for the age of the child.

Please do not hesitate to contact the office if the discomfort persists for more than 7 days or if there are any questions.
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