First Visit
Dr. Buzz, as well as the The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a "Dental Home" for your child by one year of age as long as you and your pediatrician do not have any concerns before this time. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care.
Happy Visit
Dr. Buzz offers a dental visit at no charge for children under 24 months called a “Happy Visit.” This is an educational visit for the parents and will introduce your child to our office. We want to educate the parents on a healthy diet, thorough home care, proper tooth development, effects of oral habits, and answer any questions. The happy visit will typically last 15-30 minutes and will include a thorough examination and demonstration of proper home care. If the child is cooperative it will also include a gentle cleaning to remove stains and build-up, flossing, and a fluoride treatment. The parent may be asked to sit in the dental chair or hold the child during this visit. Brief, successful visits are vital to build the child’s trust in Dr. Buzz, and his dental team.
Open Door Policy
Dr. Buzz and his team strive to make each dental visit pleasant for every patient. We realize that each child has different needs and anxieties, and therefore we have an OPEN DOOR POLICY. Parents are welcome to come into the treatment areas and stay with their child during the entire appointment. Parental presence can have a reassuring and calming effect on both the child and the parent. Although there are times when having the parent wait in the waiting room will help the child focus on the task at hand, we understand that usually the parent wants to be with their child. After all, our patients are your children and you know them better than we do!
Financial & Insurance Information
What about finances?
Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards and most major credit cards.
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 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 if your insurance pays us. PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we are only a contracted provider with most Delta Dental Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna but will file to ALL insurance companies as a courtesy to our patients. We are not responsible for how out of network insurance companies handle 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.
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.
Fact 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 has exceeded 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 allowable. These allowable fees may vary widely, because each company collects fee information from claims it processes. The insurance company then takes this data and arbitrarily chooses a level they call the "allowable" UCR Fee. Frequently, this data can be three to five years old and these "allowable" fees are set by the insurance company so they can make a net 20%-30% profit. Unfortunately, insurance companies imply that your dentist is "overcharging", rather than say that they are "underpaying", or that their benefits are low. In general, the less expensive insurance policy will use a lower usual, customary, or reasonable (UCR) figure. MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment.
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