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916-786-4TMJ Advanced Dental Concepts 916-786-4TMJ Our Philosophy - New Patients - Office Hours/Appointments - Financial Policy - Dental Insurance - Location - The Rules Our Philosophy: Our practice exists to provide valuable services for our patients. Our tradition of preventive dentistry is the basis for all service and care in our practice. Our mission is to provide our patients with comprehensive and quality care in a comfortable and professional environment. We understand that superior dental care is just the beginning of a patient relationship. We strive to develop relationships based on mutual trust and friendship with all of our patients. We have a simple goal: to preserve your natural teeth for life while maintaining your oral and general health at the highest level. By working together, we can achieve this goal. We want our staff to work in an atmosphere of personal and professional challenge and growth. We believe that education is a lifelong journey, not a destination. For those who come to us in pain, our goal is simple: help each individual patient reach the greatest level of comfort and function possible for that patient. As Charles Mayo (founder of the Mayo Clinic) stated: "Preventive dentistry can add fifteen years to one’s life!"
The first step in the finest dental care involves our comprehensive 27-step examination. We perform a comprehensive and thorough examination that includes:
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A comprehensive periodontal (gum) examination which includes:
A comprehensive x-ray examination of all teeth and supporting structures of the jaws (If you have had recent x-rays performed, it may be necessary to only take a few cavity detection x-rays.) With the aid of these x-rays we will be able to determine:
Impressions (molds) of your teeth to determine:
A follow up no charge consultation (if needed) where we:
We listen to you, and to what you have to say. We want to know what your treatment goals are, what types of dental experiences that you have had in the past and how we can make your experience with us the best dental experience that you and your family have ever had. [top] Office Hours and Appointments: We treat patients Monday and Wednesday, 8 AM until 5 PM. On Tuesday and Thursday, our hours are 6 AM until 2:30 PM. Friday is scheduled by appointment only. If you have an after hours emergency, please page us at 207-4894. We will return your call a quickly as possible. An appointment is an agreement between our office and you; our part calls for us to reserve office time for you. If you must re-schedule an appointment, please extend us the courtesy of 24 hours notice, since changes in appointments effect other patients and our staff. We regret that we must assess a charge for failed appointments or cancellations with less than 24 hours notice. Please keep us informed of any change in your name, address, telephone number, insurance coverage or employment. It is your responsibility to inform us of any changes in your medical history or any medication you are taking, since this may effect your treatment. [top] Financial Policy: Time, skill, care, judgment, professional education and experience determine professional fees. We are proud of our fees and know that they represent fair compensation for the quality of the services provided to our patients. However, when it comes to costs of any sort, none of us likes surprises. We feel that it is important for our patients to understand our financial policies before initiating any treatment. Our policy is to tell you, in advance of any treatment, what your investment in your dental health will be and to make definite financial arrangements before we begin treatment. Payment for any services is due and payable at the time the services are provided. After your initial comprehensive examination, diagnosis and consultation, we will review with you our recommended treatment plan and its estimated cost. You will receive a written estimate of the services and their respective fees. We also will offer alternatives and their costs. To make payment as convenient as possible, we offer several payment methods. For example, we accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover. We also have a 12 month, interest free payment plan. O.A.C. With the exception of orthodontic cases, we do not carry accounts in our office. We always strive to discuss these matters in detail and feel that financial arrangements made before the start of treatment eliminates worry on the part of our patients. Occasionally, we may modify the treatment plan and its estimated cost somewhat as therapy progresses. This happens only if additional treatment or changes become necessary. We will discuss any changes in the fees with you at that time. [top] Dental Insurance: More and more of our patients are covered by dental insurance. Many of our TMJ patients are covered by medical insurance, further confusing the issue. With so many families having two working adults or blended families with stepparents and non-custodial parents, there are often overlapping coverages on spouses and children. Most of these policies differ in requirements, covered procedures and benefits. We recommend that all patients become familiar with the type of coverage that they have. To simplify the process for all of us, we have adopted the following policies. First, we expect our patients to take full responsibility for the payment of our fees. We will gladly bill your insurance company for you. It is our goal to maximize your insurance benefit and to minimize your out-of-pocket investment. If insurance coverage is in doubt, we will be happy to submit a "pre-treatment estimate of benefits" to the insurance company. Second, We can not carry insurance accounts indefinitely. If an insurance company has not paid the bill within 45 days, the balance due again becomes the patient’s responsibility and is due and payable in full. Third, most insurance plans do not cover certain types of dental treatment. The common examples of these are cosmetic procedures; restoration need due to excessive wear on teeth, and procedures where the insurance companies feel a cheaper (not better) option is available. For example, an insurance company may make a benefit for a silver filling when a superior tooth colored filling is placed. Coverages are arbitrarily downgraded by insurance companies so that they can pay less benefits on your behalf. Our office can not predict when this will happen. The patient is responsible for any difference between our estimate of insurance coverage, and the amount paid by the insurer. Our Sacramento office is located at 2648 Del Paso Boulevard. We are directly across from the Calvary Christian Church about 6 blocks north of El Camino. On-street parking is plentiful. Please refer to our map. Our new Roseville office is now open. It is located at the corner of Pleasant Grove Blvd. and Foothill Blvd. in west Roseville in the Woodcreek Plaza Shopping Center. Please refer to our map. The Rules (*) * For those of you who don’t know already, these rules are in effect in every relationship! My wife and office staff made me publish these "But only for educational purposes!!!"
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