New Patients

We do need to take x-rays because a visual examination does not show us the condition of the roots, the areas between the teeth where they touch each other, or the bone around your teeth. X-rays show us the health of the whole tooth. Without them, we cannot say conclusively that these areas are healthy.

We are very conservative when taking x-rays; we take only x-rays as needed to evaluate your teeth properly. We also use digital x-rays, which emit less radiation than traditional film x-rays did. Digital x-rays are also clearer and easier to read than film. It also allows us to easily share your x-rays with our colleagues if we ever need to refer you to a specialist.

Nitrous oxide and oxygen blend together to have a calming effect on the patient. Also known as laughing gas, it allows the patient to relax and respond easier to treatment. Nitrous oxide is a form of conscious sedation: the patient remains awake and aware and responds to stimuli. Once the patient stops inhaling nitrous oxide and begins breathing normal air, the nitrous oxide is quickly expelled from the patient’s system and the effects of the gas dissipate. This is an option that we offer to patients, particularly those who are nervous about dentistry.

CEREC ('Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics') is a state-of-the-art CAD/CAM ('computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing') system that our office uses to create porcelain restorations. This includes all-ceramic crowns, veneers, bridges, inlays, onlays, and partial crowns for front and back teeth. The best part is everything is digital, and it's all done in one visit. There are no impressions, no temporary teeth, and no waiting for the lab work to come back. This system also allows us to prepare the tooth more conservatively than lab-fabricated crowns, so the patient retains more of the natural tooth structure.

Your time is valuable and CEREC allows us to complete your treatment in one visit, meaning more time doing what you love and less time in our chair!

Yes. Several of our dentists are certified providers of Invisalign Invisible Braces and Sure Smile. Some dental benefit plans have an allowance for adult orthodontics, but some do not. The front desk will contact the dental benefit plan for you and review your coverage with you. We recommend a consultation because not every patient is a candidate. If a patient needs traditional braces we can refer him or her to a local orthodontist.

We have several treatment options available to help you. Possibilities include a bridge, a partial denture, or a dental implant. Your dentist can explain the procedures and discuss the best course of action. The front desk will help you navigate the financial aspects of the treatment. Give us a call and we can schedule you for a consultation with the doctor.

Sealants are a resin material that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the permanent back teeth (premolars and molars). This resin bonds with the pits and fissures (depressions and grooves) of the chewing surface of the teeth. The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting the tooth’s enamel from acids and plaque.

Fluoride is an element that occurs naturally and is very important for your teeth as well as your child's. When ingested (in drinking water, for instance) or applied directly to the teeth, fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. A process called remineralization can reverse the beginnings of decay, and makes the tooth more resistant to decay by strengthening the tooth’s surface. This also benefits the root surface of the tooth. As you can see, fluoride is a very important factor in keeping permanent teeth healthy.

On average, many primary or “baby” teeth don’t fall out until the child is 12 or 13 years old. It’s important to keep the baby teeth healthy until they are naturally ready to fall out. Sometimes we may decide to “watch” a cavity on a baby tooth because we expect the tooth will fall out on its own before the cavity starts causing problems. However we will recommend treatment when it is a tooth your child will need for several years. We treat cavities in baby teeth when your child is at risk of pain, infection, or problems with the spacing of his/her teeth. (When a tooth falls out prematurely, the neighboring teeth can drift into the space left behind and the adult teeth will have limited space available when it’s time for them to come in.) The enamel of baby teeth is thinner than the enamel of adult teeth; cavities can spread very quickly as they work their way toward the nerve and blood vessel of a baby tooth. As the cavity grows, the tooth can become sensitive, and then severely painful, just as in an adult tooth with an untreated cavity. And, as with adult teeth, untreated cavities in baby teeth can cause infection, and in extreme cases, hospitalization.

We are a participating provider for Delta Dental Premier and Blue Cross Blue Shield indemnity plans. If you have a different dental benefit plan than those networks, you can still visit us if your dental benefit plan allows you to go out of network. Check with your human resources department or your dental benefit provider to see what type of plan you have.

Our staff is very experienced with dental benefit plans. Each policy has different coverage levels and stipulations, so there is no easy answer. We will help determine what your individual policy covers. We will also review financial options available for work that is not covered by the dental benefit plan.

Every benefit company decides on a fee for each dental procedure. Basically the dental benefit plan covers a percentage of each procedure, up to the designated (allowed) fee. The insurance company typically does not survey dentists before designating what “usual and customary” should mean. When a dentist makes a quote, the fee is based on a variety of factors, including the time it takes to perform a procedure, the materials used, and if any lab work is necessary.

The patient is responsible for the difference between what the dental practice charges and what the dental benefit plan pays (this difference is the patient’s co-payment). When a dental benefit plan says it will pay for a procedure at 100% coverage, it means 100% of the dental benefit plan's usual and customary fee. If they pay 100% of their fee, and there is still a balance left over, the patient is responsible for that co-payment. If the practice does not charge the patient for the co-payment, it is considered insurance fraud, and the office could lose its license to practice dentistry.

If you ever have any questions regarding billing, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

One company will provide dental benefit plans to many businesses. Employers may choose what level of dental coverage the company subscribes to. Therefore, in this example, your friend’s employer picked better coverage than your employer chose. Most human resources departments will give you a booklet that breaks down what and how much is covered. It’s important to familiarize yourself with your dental benefit plan.

We act as a liaison between you and the dental benefit plan; we do our best to help you but we cannot guarantee that the information we receive is completely reliable. The insurance company itself does not guarantee the information it gives us until it actually processes the claim.

We can submit a pre-treatment estimate to the dental benefit plan. The pre-treatment estimate tells the plan what procedures the patient needs, and the plan sends to us, in writing, a guarantee of what they will pay and what the patient will owe. This is not a contract with us to do the procedure. There is no penalty if the patient decides not to have that procedure performed. Pre-treatment estimates typically take one month to be processed by the dental benefit plan.

We accept cash, checks, and all four major credit cards. We accept Care Credit, which is a financing company that offers payment plans for up to 24 months interest free. We also have a Membership Plan that uninsured patients can sign up for. Speak to the front desk about your proposed treatment plan and they can advise you on the option that best suits your finances.

We work with the financing company Care Credit. Care Credit offers interest-free payment plans for up to 24 months. Applying is quick and easy, just answer a few short questions over their secure website. Care Credit works with dental practices, but not exclusively; they can be used for medical, vision, and veterinary services as well.

We are a general dentistry practice and we do the bulk of the work that our patients need. Patients of all ages visit us, from children to the elderly. Our general dentists offer cosmetic procedures such as bonding, whitening, and veneers, and also offer short-term orthodontic treatment.

We also have two specialists on staff. Dr. Urdaneta is a prosthodontist who specializes in dental implants and full-mouth reconstructions. Dr. Park is a periodontist (gum specialist); he performs tissue grafts and gum surgeries as well as placing dental implants.

There are cases when we might refer a patient out to a specialist’s practice. In those cases we will refer you to a trusted colleague who specializes in the given issue.

We encourage our patients to call and schedule their appointments. We want to make sure the doctor is able to see you. If a patient walks in, the doctor might be in the middle of a procedure and unable to see the walk-in immediately. If you have a dental emergency please call the office. We can often give you an appointment for the same day. Calling ahead guarantees that you will be seen at a time that works well for both you and the doctor, with minimal waiting time.

We understand that scheduling conflicts do come up on occasion. When you need to reschedule with us, we ask that you give us at least 24 hour notice. We will happily reschedule the appointment for a time that is more convenient for you.

Before scheduling any appointment with us, the front desk will ask you about the best day and time for you to visit. This way we can make sure to find a time that is convenient for both you and the clinician. Our clinicians, especially our dental hygienists, work on very tight schedules. If one patient is late, the clinician is late for every patient afterwards. If you fear you are running late, please call us and let us know. We will do our best to accommodate you.

We request patients give us 24 hour notice when cancelling so that we can maintain an efficient schedule. No one likes to wait at the doctor’s office; when a patient is late it causes all the patients afterward to be seen late. There are three circumstances when we charge for missed appointments:

• A patient is more than 20 minutes late to an appointment without a valid reason.
• A patient calls to cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time.
• A patient does not call to cancel and fails to keep a scheduled appointment.

Of course, we understand there are emergency situations. We are understanding of the circumstances and do not charge patients if they have a valid reason for missing an appointment.

You'd be surprised at how interconnected the human body is. You might have had a surgical procedure and need to take antibiotics before coming in to see us. Or you might be on a medication that has known drug interactions. We need to know if you have certain conditions or allergies, as well as all medications you take, so that we can provide you with the best possible care. We try not to overload you with paperwork, but we do need this information in writing.

Please call us right away. We have evening appointments four nights a week, and we have office hours every Saturday. We will do our best to see you as soon as possible. If you need us after hours, please call and leave a message on our voice mail. We always have a doctor on call to check the messages. Please be sure to leave your phone number so we can call you back.

Going to the emergency room is another option for dealing with dental emergencies. If you feel you need treatment immediately, please seek medical attention at the nearest hospital.

Please call us immediately to schedule an appointment with the dentist. To give the tooth the best chance of surviving the trauma, it is important to see your dentist within an hour of the accident. Handle the tooth by the top (crown), do not touch the pointed bottom (root). Touching the root of the tooth can damage cells that are necessary to reattach the tooth to the bone. Gently rinse the tooth in water to remove any dirt. Do not scrub the tooth! Place the clean tooth in your mouth; hold it between your cheek and gum to keep it moist. It is very important not to let the tooth dry out. If it is not possible to store the tooth in the mouth, wrap it in clean gauze and immerse it in milk or saline solution (the solution used for contact lenses).

If a baby tooth is knocked out, the tooth should not be replanted. The patient should be seen as soon as possible to make sure the tooth was knocked out completely and there are no remaining pieces.

Please call us immediately to schedule an appointment with the dentist. In the meantime, attempt to reposition the tooth to its normal alignment using very light finger pressure. Do not force it into position.

There are different types of tooth fractures. Minor fractures (chipped teeth, for example) may be fixed by smoothing the tooth or through a simple restorative procedure. Moderate fractures involve damage to the enamel, tissue, and/or pulp of the tooth. This type of fracture may need a more extensive procedure to fix. Severe fractures usually mean that a tooth has been traumatized to the point where it cannot be saved. If you fracture a tooth, rinse with warm water and use an ice pack to reduce swelling. Take ibuprofen, not aspirin, for pain. Call us to schedule an appointment as this is a temporary measure until your dentist can see you to fix the tooth.

If you wear dentures and a tooth breaks or chips, wear your spare dentures until you can see your dentist. If you do not have a spare set and cannot see us soon, use super glue to glue the tooth or piece of tooth back into place. This is a temporary solution and will not solve the problem. You should still come in to see us even if you successfully glue the tooth into place. Only use super glue with dentures! Never try to glue a natural tooth or a part of a natural tooth back into place!

Injuries to the inside of the mouth include tears, cuts, puncture wounds, and lacerations to the cheek, lips, or tongue. The wound should be cleaned immediately with warm water, and an emergency appointment should be scheduled with an oral surgeon as soon as possible. If you are unable to visit the oral surgeon, go to the hospital. You can reduce the bleeding of a tongue laceration by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to put pressure on the wound.

HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. It is a federal mandate. Essentially, HIPAA states that we cannot and will not share your information with anyone without your prior written consent. You can download a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices in our New Patient Packet.

Dental anxiety is an issue that a lot of people contend with. This is partially due to how dentistry used to be performed. We hear a lot of horror stories from adults who were traumatized by their childhood dentist. Dentistry is not performed that way anymore. With the technologies we have available to us, coupled with local anesthetic and nitrous oxide (if you choose), dental visits are very often a lot easier and a lot less painful than they used to be. We have received several nice compliments on Yelp and Google reviews from people who had the same concerns. Take a look at our Facebook page; look through our photo galleries. Patients have found it helpful to “meet” the people who will be treating them before they actually come in to visit us. We will do everything in our power to make your visit a comfortable, calm experience.

Yes! We see the people who visit us as friends and neighbors. Our social media accounts allow us to keep in contact with people throughout the year, not just every six months. We use our Facebook and Instagram pages to show the fun side of dentistry. Our patients’ social profiles are safe - under no circumstances would we ever give your information to any person or company.

Bad breath happens to all of us from time to time. Many factors can affect your breath, including eating certain foods, using tobacco, having a bad cavity or gum disease, as well as certain medical issues. Regular dental visits and good home care habits help prevent bad breath. If your bad breath persists, let your dentist know. We can help determine the cause and offer possible solutions for you.

When we discuss a treatment plan for you, we will make sure you have full understanding of your options before we schedule any treatment. Any questions about the terms we use, the advantages or disadvantages or proposed treatment, and any other concerns you may have will be fully examined and explained before moving forward. We are here to work with you to achieve your ideal smile.

We sterilize and disinfect all clinical areas in between patients as per federal and state guidelines. Every surface is wiped to sterilize them. We use blue barrier tape or plastic bags to cover certain surfaces (such as the handles on the overhead lights). These methods disinfect the room at a medical level. We might clean our rooms a little differently than your previous dentist; it's really up to the individual dentist’s discretion if the room gets wiped or taped; we happen to do both. Following these universal precautions and guidelines ensures all our rooms are properly sterilized.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we increased some of our normal precautions. Our clinicians now wear additional personal protective equipment over their normal gear. They are also using some new equipment - for example, we use high speed evacuation units that eliminate aerosols during dental procedures. We have also installed Molekule Air Purifiers in every operatory, the lobbies, and the staff rooms. These changes will remain in place as part of our standard operating procedures, regardless of the status of the pandemic.