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Patient Information
Our Appointments
Our Financial Policy
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Our Appointments
We want to make each child’s dental appointment as easy and as
comfortable as possible. We realize parents do not want school
attendance to be affected by dental and medical appointments. For
this reason many parents specifically ask for late afternoon
appointments only. However our office schedules young & elementary
school children requiring treatment in the morning only. We find
that children are far less stressed and most alert in the morning
after a good night’s rest.
We
strive to provide timely service for all of our patients. We know
you have a busy schedule and we respect your time. We are well-aware
of how difficult it is for children to have to wait. We will do our
best to accommodate an injured child. In doing so, our daily
schedule may be delayed. Please accept our apologies ahead of time
should this occur during your appointment. Understand we will do
exactly the same if your child is ever in need of emergency care.
Our office is dedicated to providing a high level of care for our
parents. Since appointment times are reserved exclusively for each
patient we ask that you notify our office 48 hours in advance of
your scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep your
appointment. We also require notification if you are going to be 15+
minutes late so that we can determine if the appointment needs to be
rescheduled. A broken appointment charge will be assessed against
the account for insufficient notice. We realize that unexpected
things can happen, but we ask for your consideration in this regard.
Timely notifications in schedule changes allows us to bring in
another child who may be in need of a sooner appointment.
A parent or guardian must accompany and stay with any child less
than 18 years old.
No cell phones or food and
drink are allowed in the treatment areas.
Are Parents Allowed in the Room With Their Child?
Of course! At smiles4children, we encourage parents to accompany
their children into our treatment areas.
We believe that inherent in the
treatment and care of children should be an attitude that
welcomes, if not encourages, any means to help a child feel
comfortable and safe.
We know that a parent’s gentle
touch or comforting words may help your child during treatment.
But we ask parents to limit their verbal communication during
treatment as children may not be able to hear our directions.
In rare circumstances we may
ask a parent to move beyond their child’s direct vision – but
the parent will always be allowed to listen and reenter the room
when we have established communication with your child.
One parent at a time may be in the treatment area. 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.
Cell phones should be turned
off and no food or drink may be brought back into the treatment
areas.
Our Office Financial Policy
Insurance
A common question at any healthcare office is, “Do you accept my
insurance?” We accept insurances and are happy to either submit
claims on behalf of our patients or help with the process. We do
participate with major PPO dental plans. Please check with your
insurance company to ensure that we are listed as a provider with
your specific plan. If you would
like to bill your insurance, a claim form can be printed on the day
of your child’s visit. In such cases we will require payment in full
on the day of service. As a courtesy, our office can also bill your
insurance but we are not responsible for any errors or omissions
made in the claim process. You will be responsible for the estimated
co-pay on the day of service. Our estimation of your insurance
coverage is not a guarantee, but merely an estimate based on the
best information we have.
There may be a deductible, a
yearly maximum, fee schedules, benefits paid to other offices,
or other factors to be considered. You should refer any
questions or verification of precise benefits to your insurance
company or employer. Please
remember that your insurance plan is a contract between your
employer and the insurance company and we are not a party to that
contract. Please contact your insurance company prior to your first
visit to ensure you have coverage with our office. Some insurance
plans may require a referral from a general dentist. Some plans may
have an age limitation for your child seeing a pediatric dentist.
Balances that remain on the account after 30 days will incur a late
fee. The insurer will be responsible for pursuing any outstanding
insurance claims directly with the insurance company. We will
provide you any necessary claim forms and/or documentation required.
We urge you to contact your insurance company to ensure prompt
processing of claims. Our
recommendation and treatment of your child will never be influenced
by insurance benefits or limitations. You may find that we withhold
performing certain procedures that may not be necessary or indicated
even though they may be covered by insurance.
For example, not every child
needs x-rays every six months or even every twelve months. Not
every child is ready for sealants when insurances deem
necessary. Although all these procedures may be covered 100% by
insurance our office will not perform them if they are not
necessary or beneficial to your child.
Our office will also take the
time to care for your child and answer your questions so you
never feel rushed or unimportant. We strive to provide the
highest level of care while creating a nurturing, child-centered
environment dedicated to long-term oral health. |