|
How are Appointments Scheduled?
Do I Stay
with My Child During the Visit?
What About Finances?
Our Office
Policy Regarding Dental Insurance
How are
Appointments Scheduled?
 We attempt to schedule
appointments at your convenience. We normally see preschool children in
the morning when they are well rested. Whenever possible, older children
are seen in the afternoon outside of school hours. Please be aware that
the scheduling of appointments is also determined by the procedure that
your child is having completed. Appointments for fillings, crowns, and
extractions are usually scheduled in the morning. Please notify us
twenty-four hours in advance if you are unable to keep your appointment.
Back to Top
Do I Stay with My Child During the Visit?
One
parent is welcome to accompany each child on his or her first visit. At
subsequent visits, we ask that you allow your child to accompany our staff
through the dental experience. We are all highly experienced in helping
children overcome anxiety. Separation anxiety is not uncommon in children,
so please try not to be concerned if your child exhibits some negative
behavior. This is normal and will soon diminish. Studies have shown that
most children over the age of three react more positively when permitted
to experience the dental visit on their own in an environment designed for
children.
Back to Top
What About Finances?
If you
have dental insurance, we will file if for you as a courtesy. You will be
responsible for your co- payment at each appointment. If you do not have
dental insurance, payment for professional services is due at the time
dental treatment is provided. We accept cash, personal checks, and most
major credit cards and we do accept payments over the phone. Our financial
policy is attached to our new patient information. Click here to view our
financial policy. Financial Policy
Back to Top
Our Office Policy
Regarding Dental Insurance
 Please
bring your dental insurance card to every visit. If we have 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 estimated co-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. We will be
glad to send a refund to you once your insurance pays us.
Patients with Delta Dental Insurance will be required to pay in full.
Delta Dental Insurance Company will reimburse you directly within 14
business days.
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 cannot 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. For
non-preventive dental treatment, we will ask you to pay 20% of the
treatment at the time the service is rendered.
Facts 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 exceeds 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 “reasonable.”
MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as
policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment
Return to Top of
Page |
