Our office, as well as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, recommends that your child visit the dentist by his/her 1st birthday. You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. Your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less "to-do" concerning the visit, the better. The nursing infant, the school age child, and the teenager all have unique dental requirements. Pediatric Dentistry is a Specialty devoted to recognizing and treating children's dental problems while they can be managed easily. When problems are diagnosed early, parents can often avoid costly repairs and more expensive orthodontic treatment later.
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.
It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as "needle", "shot", "pull", "drill" or "hurt". Our office makes a practice of explaining all procedures and answering any questions, however we know how to convey the same message, but with pleasant, non-frightening, child-friendly language.
For the initial examination you are welcome to come into the examination area with your child. During future appointments, we suggest you allow your child to accompany our staff through the dental experience. We can usually establish a closer rapport with your child when you are not present. Our purpose is to gain your child's confidence and overcome apprehension. However, if you choose you may come to the treatment room to observe. For the safety and privacy of all patients, other children who are not being treated should remain in the reception room with a supervising adult.
We enjoy watching children grow and become comfortable and confident in the dental setting. Our staff is very gentle and specially trained and selected to work with children and help them feel relaxed.
Safety
We are as concerned about your child's health as you are. That is why our office meets or exceeds all government standards for x-ray safety and sterilization. We take great care in preparing for each visit, reviewing chars, selecting and carefully heat sterilizing all instruments before your child's visit.
We wear disposable gloves and masks, which are changed between each patient. We carefully handle all disposable materials as recommended by federal OSHA guidelines, and state and local regulatory agencies. We take these and other precautions to make sure your child's visit is not only enjoyable but also, very safe!
Insurance and Financial Arrangements
We are pleased to welcome you to our office. Our desire is to provide your children with the highest quality dental care, and to create caring relationships in a compassionate and friendly atmosphere. It is our policiy to discuss our fees and financial arrangements openly and honestly with you.
What About Finances?
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, Visa and Mastercard.
Our Office Policy Regarding Dental Insurance
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 so your insurance company will promptly 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 90 days a finance charge 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.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment.