ARTICLE 5: Understanding Wrinkle Treatments, Non Surgical Wrinkle Treatments

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Eight Criteria for Selecting a Dental Office

1. Practitioner style.

Do you prefer a dentist who is friendly and concerned, asking about your comfort at every step, or do you prefer a brisk practitioner who proceeds on the assumption that if you're uncomfortable you'll express that? 

2. Appointment availability.

Are you restricted to certain days of the week or certain times of the day when scheduling appointments? Can the dentist adapt your schedule?

3. Office location.

Is the practitioner's office conveniently near where you live or work, or will you have to go out of your way to get there?

4. Appointment reliability.

Some dentists adhere to schedules more than others. Some even schedule several patients for the same time slot. Can you afford to wait half an hour, or would that be a problem for you?

 5. Expertise.

If you have particular procedures in mind, such as cosmetic dentistry or implant tooth replacement, does the practitioner have satisfactory experience in that specialty? How many years has he or she been treating patients with this specialized care?

6.  Financial considerations.

Money is the first thing that many patients and practitioners want to discuss.

7.  Insurance plan coverage.

You should have no difficulty learning from the dentist's office staff whether they accept your insurance plan. Keep in mind, however, that many plans provide only partial coverage for many procedures, and may limit the frequency of procedures that are covered in full. For instance, your plan might pay for two cleanings a year but your dentist may recommend three.

It isn't enough to learn only whether your plan covers a particular practitioner. You will also need to ask whether the office wants full payment up-front or accepts a co-payment—usually in the $10 to $25 range—and handles its own reimbursement. (If it doesn't, you are expected to pay the full amount, then file paperwork yourself to receive reimbursement.)

Keep in mind that insurance coverage varies enormously. Insurance companies often change their policies about repayment rates, co-payment amounts, scheduling, and the like. Practitioners also feel little duty to remain "loyal" to plans that themselves have no loyalty. It isn't unusual for a dentist to start out working with many insurers and then, years later, begin weeding out the more difficult payers, or simply dropping coverage altogether. Therefore, searching for a dentist based mainly on insurance coverage is not recommended.

You should also ask about alternative payment methods. Many dentists still follow the traditional policy of wanting payment in full at the end of each visit. In fact, many dentists today are choosing to switch from insurance-based practices to a fee-for-service system to regain control over treatment processes and patient care.

More and more dentists offer flexible payment policies, even for more complicated procedures. Ask whether the office can work out a monthly payment schedule rather than up-front payment. Some offices accept credit cards, too. Your dentist should not make you feel in any way embarrassed for asking questions about the fee or payment policies. When recommending any treatment plan your dentist should be willing to specify fee structure and schedules (and be willing to put it in writing.)

8.  Warranties.

Few dentists guarantee their work for a specified time period, so a practitioner who offers an estimated time period, and refuses to put the guarantee in writing, is not necessarily inferior. However, a dentist who does stand behind his work is undoubtedly confident of its lasting quality. That is a good sign, though the patient should also understand that much dental work is time-limited. Your dentist should alert you to the life span of the treatment made and what he or she recommends if the work needs to be redone at some later date, as it often does.

We have the latest and the greatest Cosmetic Dental Care for you.

Statistics reveal that people place a high value on their smile.

• Virtually all adults (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset.
• 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite sex. • Three-quarters (74%) of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success.
• And when respondents were asked, “What would you most like to improve about your smile?” The most common response was: Whiter & Brighter Teeth.

Today's advanced techniques and materials
can make a real difference, and the skill, experience, and commitment
of our practice using a unique combination of science and artistry, can literally redesign your smile.

Orange County Orange County Dentist ca .com can now correct a wide variety of so-called "permanent" dental problems:

• Missing teeth, gaps between teeth, general bite dysfunction
• Chipped, cracked or worn teeth
• Unsightly, stained, or washed-out fillings
• Permanently stained or discolored teeth
• Crooked or crowded teeth

Initial Oral Examination Your initial oral examination includes a visual examination, charting, periodontal probing, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We will also take x-rays, which includes the panoramic x-ray for proper diagnosis of the anterior (front) and posterior (back) teeth as well as the bite-wing x-ray series for proper diagnosis of proximal decay of posterior teeth.

Dental Implants We will work with an implant specialist to create an implant for a missing single tooth, missing multiple teeth, or replace a removable appliance.

Teeth Bleaching Our state-of-the-art, in-office Power Bleaching system will make your teeth whiter in less than 1.5 hours. Another option is our home bleaching system you take with you for results in 2 weeks. You can also consider a combination program of both systems for optimal, long-term results.

Crowns and Veneers You can have a new smile with all-porcelain crowns (empressed material) on the anterior teeth. For the posterior, we use porcelain fused to metal.

Fillings: Resin Tooth-colored fillings that are light cures to match your teeth. Amalgam: Silver-colored fillings, more durable material.

Root Canals We perform root canals on anterior, molar, and premolar teeth.

Periodontal Treatment You should have a standard cleaning at least twice a year. A periodontal treatment includes an Adult Prophy (basic cleaning). If it has been over a year since your last cleaning, possible treatment will include either Periodontal Scaling (deeper) or Root Planning and Scaling (requires anesthetic).

Mouth Guards Whether you are an athlete or casual sports participant, you should wear a mouth guard to protect your teeth. If you grind your teeth while you sleep, a bite guard will help reduce symptoms of TMJ. We custom make mouth guards in both soft and hard materials.

Removable Dental Prosthesis For missing teeth, we can make dentures or removable partials for you.

Our practice is working together to realize a shared vision of uncompromising excellence in dentistry. To fulfill this mission, we are committed to: * Listening to those we are privileged to serve. * Earn the trust and respect of patients, profession and community. * Exceed your expectations. * Ensure a creative, challenging and compassionate professional environment. * Strive for continuous improvement at all levels. Thanks for visiting us on the web and please call us any time you have a question and we will be glad to help.