FAQ’s
1. What services do you provide?
We provide comprehensive dental care for children. We want all of our
patients to experience lifelong good oral health, and childhood is the
best time to instill good oral health habits and to administer
preventive care. To this end, we provide diet and nutritional
counseling, sealants, tooth-colored (composite) fillings, braces,
cosmetic bonding, cosmetic bleaching, oral surgery, and space
maintenance.
2. How long will we have to wait in the reception area?
Appointments are reserved for your child in order for our staff to be
prepared to treat your child in the best way possible. We firmly believe
in the value of your time and dislike long waiting periods in the
office. Please understand, however, that emergencies do arise with
children and may occasionally cause unforeseen delays. We request your
patience. Prompt arrival for your child’s appointment helps us stay on
schedule as well.
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3. Can I change an appointment?
Absolutely. We just ask that you give our office two business days’
notice. This allows us to offer the time to another patient waiting for
treatment.
4. What if insurance doesn’t cover my child’s treatment?
Our commitment is to provide the best dental services available to your
child. No insurance company will ever match that commitment. If your
financial situation may preclude your child from receiving necessary
dental treatment, please request an appointment with our business staff
to discuss financing options that may be available for you.
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5.
Can you bill me for my account balance?
All charges are due at the time of the visit unless other arrangements
have been made with our business staff at an earlier date. We accept
cash, checks, MasterCard, Visa and Discover.
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Dental Emergencies
First Aid for Emergencies
Unfortunately, your child will have accidents, and these accidents may
injure your child’s teeth or involve facial or head areas. It’s
important that you educate yourself, so that if these kinds of injuries
occur you can administer the proper first aid treatment immediately.
Primary Tooth Knocked Out
If your child’s primary tooth is knocked out, contact our office as soon
as possible. We do not reimplant these teeth, but we do need to
determine if any roots remain or if any other teeth have been injured.
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Permanent Tooth
Knocked Out
If your child’s permanent tooth is knocked out, find it and rinse it
gently in cool water. Please do not scrub it or clean it with soap –
water only. If possible, replace the tooth in the socket and hold it
there with clean gauze or a washcloth. If you can’t put it back into the
socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk, saliva, or
water. Handle the tooth only by its crown, not by its root. Get to our
office immediately, or call our after-hours emergency number. Stay calm,
but act quickly – the faster we see your child, the better our chances
of saving their tooth. In fact, a tooth reimplanted within one hour of
the accident frequently reattaches to the socket.
Displaced Tooth
Your child’s tooth may become displaced – not completely knocked out of
the mouth, but it may appear elongated, pulled out, pushed in, or
shorter. The sooner that we can splint or realign the tooth, the easier
it will be to bring it back into proper alignment. We’ll also need to
schedule periodic evaluations for several months to see if a root canal
or tooth extraction becomes necessary.
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Chipped Tooth
If your child’s tooth is chipped or fractured, contact our office as
soon as possible. Rinse your child’s mouth with water and apply a cold
compress to reduce swelling. If you see a broken fragment of the tooth,
bring it with you to our office.
Severe Injury
Any severe blow to the head or jaw fracture should be treated in your
nearest hospital’s emergency room immediately.
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Toothache
If your child complains of a toothache, call us promptly. In the
meantime, you may rinse their mouth with water and apply a cold compress
or ice wrapped in a cloth. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area,
but you may give them ibuprofen for pain.
Injury Prevention
Of course, the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure,” is true. Child proof your home by making sure infants or toddlers
can’t find sharp objects such as pens or pencils to put in their mouth,
and make sure that electrical outlets and cords are out of reach. Try to
pad sharp coffee table corners and other hazards as your child begins
walking, and make sure that safety belts, in strollers and car seats,
are used at all times. As your child begins to participate in sports,
don’t let them play until they have a mouth guard. Mouth guards can not
only protect teeth, but also protect the gums, reduce the intensity and
number of head concussions, prevent injury to the joints around the jaw,
and reduce pressure when a force is directed to the chin.
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Insurance
If you have dental insurance, we will help you to maximize your
benefits. Our business will file your insurance claims for you. Please
understand that dental insurance is intended to cover some, but not all,
of the cost of your child’s dental care. Most plans require a
co-payment, a deductible and other expenses which must be paid by the
patient. Your insurance is a contract between you, your employer, and
the insurance carrier. We are not a party to that contract. Your are
responsible for all charges to your account regardless of what your
insurance pays. To avoid misunderstandings, our business staff invites
early discussion of financial problems or questions regarding fees,
payment from insurance carriers, or any other issues.
Financials
Please be aware that the parent bringing the child to our office is
legally responsible for payment of all charges. We are unable to send
statements to other persons.
All charges are due at the time of the visit unless other arrangements
have been made with our business staff at an earlier date.
We accept cash, checks, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. We also offer
outside financing with the following companies for any services over
$500 with prior approval by the company.
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Newsletter Topics:
Seven Reasons Why Your Child
May Have Bad Breath
The Great American Smokeout: Helping
Your Kids Avoid Tobacco
Home Care For the Child With Braces
Infant Oral Health Care
Your Child's Oral Health
