Office Policies

• Download our Patient Information Form
  (Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view.)

On your second visit, all remaining necessary dental records will be completed. After you have signed an informed consent form, your treatment may be attempted. Any modifications from the initial treatment plan will be discussed and explained. Should you decide to refrain from any suggested treatment, a refusal-to-treat form should be signed. Before all procedures, vital signs such as blood pressure and respiration will be taken along with your height and weight. Should a person prove hypertensive, no procedures will be attempted until the offending condition either corrects itself (nervousness), or is corrected in another medical fashion.

Patients with prosthetic devices, hip and knee replacements and certain heart conditions usually need to be premedicated even before a dental cleaning. Should any question arise towards the appropriateness of antibiotic use before dental treatment we would enjoy discourse with your primary care physician on this topic.

Payment is accepted by check and all credit cards. As a courtesy we will verify and file your insurance claims for you. We will accept assignment for minor covered procedures such as examinations, dental cleanings and small fillings, but all co-payments are due at time of treatment. We will file insurance claims and accept your surmised co-payment for restorative work at the time of treatment for any restorations requiring laboratory time, but all payment must be received before said restorations are seated and delivered in the mouth. This usually applies to removable prosthetics, crown and bridge fixed retorations, veneers, and all implant based cases.

While we will strive to help you receive your insurance benefits in any way, it must be regarded as a courtesy. We are not employees of any insurance company. While we accept dental insurance we have no contract with any insurance entity. You, the patient, have final responsibility for the payment of your bill. Insurance companies attempt to practice dentistry. On a daily basis they change treatment codes to conform with their policies, delay payment to us the practitioner and you the patient, and frequently deny the reciept of necessary records to procrastinate the approval of a claim. We diligently try to ascertain the coverage for any treatment you may have but many times discrepancies arise. Your wrath should be directed toward the insurance company, not towards us.

Payment arrangements for large restorative cases, such as implant therapy can be discussed on a case by case basis. For terms used on insurance statements (EOB's), please see our glossary page.

We strive to treat you as a member of our family. However we still have a business to run. Oftentimes appointments for complex cosmetic, restorative and implant procedures can take an entire afternoon. We do not appreciate patients who cancel their appointment on short notice because it robs us of time that could be used for someone else whose problems of equal concern can be addressed. Conversely should dental problems require more of our time than expected, we will not rush the treatment. Every effort will be made to contact patients if we are running late for an appointment, as they may wish to reschedule. Blatant no-shows of appointments not cancelled within a 24 hour period with explanations of being drafted into the navy, temporary amnesia , or being abducted by aliens, will be charged a fee of $125. New patients who miss their initial appointment twice will not be seen.

We strive to create the best restorative work we can, but its longevity will also depend on the patient. The patient is like the driver, and must maintain the car. Missed hygiene appointments are like not changing the oil in a car's engine; its longevity is directly affected. We will do all we can to help educate you in this simplest but most important dental process, but we would appreciate being met halfway in its implementation.

Again we welcome you on board!