How are Appointments Scheduled?

Our office makes every effort to schedule appointments at your convenience.  Almost all of our patients are in school and we strive to minimize the amount of school time missed.  Dental appointments are an excused absence.  We see children 7 and under in the morning when we have a lighter schedule.  This allows us to spend the additional time young patients often need to make their dental experience a positive one.  In addition we can then accommodate most of our high school patients in the afternoon when missing school is more difficult.

Since appointment times are reserved exclusively for each patient we ask that you please notify our office at least 24 hours in advance if you are unable to keep your child’s appointment.  Another patient who needs our care can be scheduled if we have sufficient time to notify them.  We realize in today’s hectic fast paced world unexpected things can happen, but we ask for your assistance in this regard.  For your convenience an operator is available 24 hours a day for appointment cancellations or dental emergencies.

 Our Services

•         Preventive Dentistry (Examinations, cleanings, fluoride treatment, and sealants)

•         Digital X-Rays (significant reduction in radiation versus conventional)

•         Dental Home for Children with Special Needs

•         Infant Exams and Parent Education

•         Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry

•         Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas)

•         Appointments Monday thru Saturday

•         General Anesthesia in Office

•         Habit Counseling and Treatment

•         State of the Art Sterilization

•         Minor Orthodontic Tooth Movement

•         24 Hour Emergency Care

•         Community Outreach (Preschool visits, Parent Classes)

Payments and Fees

Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided.  We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards, and all major credit cards.  For extensive treatment, payment plans can be arranged.

Our Office Policy Regarding Dental Insurance

As a courtesy to you we will bill your insurance company.  We file all insurance claims electronically so your insurance company will have your claim within days of treatment.  We use a computer program to estimate the benefits provided by your plan.  Please understand this is only an ESTIMATE. 

There are hundreds if not thousands of insurance plans for dentistry and any one company can have many different levels of benefits.  We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of the treatment.  We at no time guarantee what your insurance company will or will not do with each claim.  We suggest you contact your insurance carrier directly for more definitive information regarding your costs. 

Employers frequently change insurance plans.  Please keep us informed of any changes as they may significantly affect your benefit level. 

Facts You Should Know About Dental Insurance

 Fact #1:  No Insurance Company Pays 100% of All Procedures 

Dental insurance is meant to be an aid in receiving dental care.  Many patients think that their insurance pays 90-100% of all dental fees.  This is not true!  Most plans only pay 50-80% of the average total fee.  Some pay more, some pay less.  Most plans also have limits for the total benefit paid in a given year.  The amount paid by the plan is usually determined by how much you or your employer has paid for the coverage or the type of contract your employer has set up with the insurance company.

Fact #2:  Benefits Are Not Determined By Our Office

You may have noticed that sometimes your dental insurer reimburses you or the dentist at a lower rate than the dentist’s actual fee.  Your insurance company may state that the reimbursement was reduced because your dentist’s fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee (“UCR”) used by the company. 

This statement gives the impression that any fee greater than the amount paid by the insurance company is unreasonable or well above what other dentists in the area charge for a certain service.  This is very misleading and simply not accurate.

Insurance companies set their own payment schedules and each company uses a different set of fees that they consider allowable.  These fees may vary widely because each company collects fee information from claims it processes.  They use this data to arbitrarily choose a level they call the “allowable” UCR fee.  The fees are often set such that the insurance company makes a 20-30% net profit. 

Fact #3: Deductibles & Co-Payments Must Be Considered

Many insurance companies charge a deductible (often $50) that must be paid by you before any other insurance benefits are applied.      

Copyright © 2005 Donald C. Schmitt & Randall R. Wiley, D.D.S., Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
Click here to read our Disclaimer.  Click here to read our Privacy Policies and Procedures.

Web Site Designed by Dentists4Kids.com

Pediatric Dentists ~ Dr. Donald Schmitt, Dr. Randall Wiley and Dr. Connie Arvanitis
Servicing the Concord, CA and Danville, CA area.