Office Visits

Regular Checkups

Don't brush off regular checkups to the dentist! Regular dental checkups are essential to maintaining good oral health. We encourage regular checkups at intervals specific to your dental needs. Seeing the dentist twice a year is recommended because your dentist can:

check for problems that you might not see or feel
find early signs of decay
treat oral health problems early, while they are still manageable

Regular checkups include a thorough cleaning, polishing, and an oral exam by the doctor. During the oral exam, the doctor checks the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. At each visit, the doctor also checks old fillings and restorations because constant pressure from chewing, grinding, or clenching can cause them to wear away, chip, or crack.

Your First Visit

Your first visit to the doctor typically includes an x-ray that allows the doctor to view the structure of the jaw, the position of any teeth that have not yet erupted, malformed roots, and tooth decay.

x-rays

The initial visit also involves getting your medical history because Dr. Janisse and Dr. Johnston care about your overall health. When you share your medical history with the doctor, be sure to provide complete, up-to-date information on your health. Inform your dentist if you have experienced recent hospitalization or surgery, or if you have recently been ill. Also tell the doctor the names, doses, and frequency of any medications you are taking - whether prescription or over-the-counter products - and the name of your physician. Inform the doctor of any changes in your health or medications. It is also important to bring up any fears you may have about dental treatment.

The information collected in your first visit will help the doctor select the safest and most effective method of treatment for you.

Also on your first visit you will be introduced to our financial policies. Currently to help reduce our administrative costs and keep our fees to you at a minimum, we would appreciate payments to be made at or prior to the time that you (or your family members) receive treatment.

Payment options include all major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Amex), debit cards, check or cash. For treatment amounts over $300 we offer payment plans with as low as 0% interest for 12 months.

If you have dental insurance it usually does not cover the total cost of your treatment. Based on your plan, we usually can estimate the amount of your co-payment. Your co payment is appreciated when treatment is delivered. The following are the general guidelines for insurance: 20% copay for routine professional cleanings and fillings, 50% copay for Crowns/Root Canals/Partial or Complete Dentures. If your insurance company fails to pay within 60 days after we submit your claim, you will be responsible for the full fee.