Get Answers to Your Dental Concerns
If you have any questions regarding our dental treatments or dental issues in general, we are here for you. Do take a look below at some of the most common questions that we receive at our clinic and you may find the answers to your questions. In case any question is still unaddressed, we are just a call away.
What Should I Expect at My First Dental Appointment?
The first dental visit is all about getting acquainted with you as well as your dental health. During the first appointment, we will perform a full dental exam, which involves x-rays and can be followed by dental cleaning. This allows us to get an overall picture of your dental health and come up with an initial treatment plan. If you are coming in on an emergency, we will only do a specific x-ray of the area of concern and begin treatment.
Does the Office Accept Insurance?
Yes. Our family dentist in Mill Woods deals directly with your insurance company and the patient rarely has to deal with any of the billing-related issues. The patient, however, is responsible to pay the balance of the bill (the portion not covered by insurance) immediately after the service is provided. It is very rare that the patient has to pay the full amount upfront and be reimbursed at a later time by their insurance company.
What Do I Need for My First Appointment?
The more information, the better. Bring in your medical history (dates of surgeries, procedures), a list of other cosmetic dental work you’ve had done, a list of your current medications, and any insurance information you have (group numbers, id numbers, cards with numbers). If you are coming from another office, and are able to, bring in your x-rays from that office (it is your right to have x-rays transferred to another office). Having as much information as possible will allow us to do all the work for you, and make for a much less stressful first visit.
Do You Do All Dental Procedures in Your Clinic?
While our Edmonton dentist does deal with most aspects of dentistry, there are a few things we do not do. For these few areas, we deal with highly trained specialists who will treat our patients in an excellent way. We refer all of our orthodontic patients, the difficult wisdom tooth extractions, any periodontal issues, and very young children so that they are dealt with by specialists trained in those particular fields. You can rest assured - we do this so that our patients are always in good hands.
What Will Be Done at My First Appointment?
At the first visit, we will discuss any concerns the patient has with their teeth/smile/bite. We will take x-rays so we can see all the teeth in detail so we know what we are dealing with and don’t miss anything. We will do a thorough intra and extra oral exam. A treatment plan will be formulated so everything can be “fixed” in the future. This will include anything that “has to be done” (deal with all decay, infection, fractured or broken teeth) as well as anything that the patient wants to be addressed (their smile, gaps, colour/whiteness of the teeth).
If you are also booked for cleaning at this appointment, the hygienist will scale and polish the teeth, and apply a fluoride treatment.
In Case I Have an Emergency, How Long Before I Can Be Seen?
We aim to see our patients for emergencies on the same or following day. As long as we are given some flexibility and enough warning, most patients will be seen that same day. This doesn’t mean the problem will necessarily be fixed that day, but it will be, at the very least, dealt with to get the patient out of pain or discomfort and a plan will be formulated as to what we need to do to complete the treatment.
How Far Ahead Are You Booking? Will I Have to Wait for Months to See the Dentist?
We do not book very far in advance. We realize that patients usually want to come in fairly promptly and so we schedule our appointments accordingly. For emergencies, we will usually get you on the same day, and for hygiene usually within a week.
Do You Do All Dental Procedures at Your Clinic?
We do most dental procedures that most patients need. We do not do implants or periodontal surgery, which is left to the specialists.
Does Your Dental Office Do Direct Billing to Insurance?
Yes, as long as we have all the required insurance information, we will bill your insurance directly. Sometimes, there is a difference between what the insurance will cover and our fee, which then becomes the responsibility of the patient at the time of the appointment.
How Often Should I See a Dentist?
The Canadian Dental Association recommends seeing a dentist for an exam and cleaning every six
Months. X-rays are only taken once a year. There are some patients who need to see us more often due to complicating circumstances, and these patients come in every three or four months.
Do You Offer Invisalign? How Quickly Will I See Results?
Yes! We are very excited to offer this service to our patients. This state-of-the-art treatment is much quicker than conventional braces and also less expensive. The results are beautiful.
What Should I Do if I Have a Cracked and/or Broken Tooth?
Cracked/broken teeth will have to be treated on a case-to-case basis. Get in touch with us at the earliest so that we can figure out the best solution for you.
What Are the Signs of Tooth Decay?
There are many signs of tooth decay. Common among these are:
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A bad taste in your mouth
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A brown area on your tooth
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Pain/sensitivity from a tooth or an area.
How Often Do I Need an X-Ray?
Usually, just once per year unless you are having an issue with a specific tooth in which case, we need to take an x-ray to make an appropriate diagnosis.
Do You Offer Children’s Dentistry?
Yes. As a family dentist, we offer dental services for kids as well.
Do You Offer Veneers?
Yes. We have helped correct a lot of dental issues with the help of Veneers.
What Kind of Cosmetic Dental Procedures Do You Offer?
Our services include cosmetic, restorative and general dentistry.
At What Age Should I Start Bringing My Child to the Dentist?
We welcome children as young as 4 to 5 years of age for a basic checkup and polish services.
What Is a Root Canal?
A root canal involves the removal of nerves from an infected tooth to alleviate pain.
How Often Should I Get My Teeth Cleaned?
This generally depends from person to person. Although we usually would advise you to get a dental cleaning twice a year, sometimes you may need one more frequently too. Contact us to know what is best for you.
How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush?
As a rule of thumb, you should be replacing your toothbrush every two months. You could also take fraying of the bristles as a sign that the toothbrush must be replaced.
Do You Offer Any Payment Plan Options at Your Clinic?
Yes, we do. Call us to discuss a payment plan that would work best for you, especially in cases where you require more expensive treatments.
What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth?
We offer in-office bleaching which is done in about 1.5 hours. The results from this procedure are amazing, although they do differ between patients.