Services & Procedures

Information for New Patients
INITIAL CONSULTATION

Here’s what to expect at your first visit:

• An opportunity to describe your dental and medical needs, and to express any concerns you have about dental treatments and procedures.
• A thorough examination of your teeth, gums and mouth.
• Information about any dental conditions we discover and/or the need for further examination.
• If needed, a detailed treatment plan.

What to bring

Please bring your dental insurance or benefits information. The details of your dental benefits don’t influence our recommendations for your treatment in any way, but they make it easy for us to bill your insurer directly on your behalf. Please also bring a completed new patient form and consent form.

OFFICE POLICIES

Informed consent

We only perform treatments for which we’ve received informed consent from our patients. What this means is that we’ll provide a thorough and clear explanation of your recommended treatment and our reasons for recommending it. We’ll also let you know how long the treatment will take, how much it will cost, and what side effects you might experience. Once we’ve answered any questions you may have, it’s your choice whether to decline or consent to the recommended treatment.

Canceling and rescheduling

We value our patients’ time, so we do our best to stay on schedule. In turn, we ask that our patients arrive on time for their appointments. Please let us know at least two business days in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule. If you fail to show or don’t give sufficient warning to reschedule, you may be charged a fee. If this occurs more on more than one occasion, our office will unfortunately only be able to book you on an emergency basis.

Payment

Payment is required at the time when service is provided. We accept debit, cash, Visa and MasterCard. Once you’ve provided your benefits details, we’ll process your claims for you. Your insurance company will reimburse you directly for items for which you have coverage.

**To assist our patients, our office will submit the completed procedure codes to your insurance company.

In the event of an after hours dental emergency, please call the clinic at 403-685-3727  to be informed of the doctor on call.

DENTAL EMERGENCIES

Here are some common dental emergencies and how to handle them.

Toothache

First call your dentist. Explain your symptoms and ask to be seen as soon as possible. Then ease the pain. Take an over-the-counter pain medicine that works for you, but do not put the pills on your sore tooth. Hold an ice pack against your face at the spot of the sore tooth.

Do not put a heating pad, a hot water bottle, or any other source of heat on your jaw. Heat will make things worse instead of better.

Chipped or broken tooth

Broken teeth can almost always be saved. Call your dentist and explain what happened. If it’s a small break, your dentist may use a white filling to fix the tooth. If the break is serious, a root canal may be needed. Your tooth may also need a crown (also called a cap).

Knocked out tooth

If the knocked-out tooth is an adult (or permanent) tooth, your dentist may be able to put it back. You must act quickly. If the tooth is put back in place within 10 minutes, it has a fair chance of taking root again. After 2 hours, the chances are poor.

If the tooth looks clean, put it back in its place (its socket). If this is not possible, or if there’s a chance that the tooth might be swallowed, put it in a container of cold milk. Go to your dentist, or to the nearest dentist, right away. If you get help within ten minutes, there is a fair chance that the tooth will take root again.

Injured lip or tongue

If there is bleeding, press down on the part of the mouth that is bleeding. Use a clean cloth to do this. If the lip is swollen, use an ice pack to keep the swelling down. If you are not able to control the bleeding call us. You may need stitches.

Something stuck between teeth

First, try using dental floss with a knot tied in it very gently and carefully, to remove the object. Never poke between your teeth with a pin or similar sharp, pointy object; it can cut your gums or scratch the tooth surface. If you can’t get the object out, see your dentist.

Lost filling

Put a piece of softened sugarless chewing gum in the spot where the filling was lost. This will protect the area for a short period of time. See a dentist as soon as possible.