Help! Do I Need ...

A check-up

Probably, if you haven't visited a dentist for over a year. Aside from the possibility of catching cavities before they become large and painful, regular check-ups also monitor problems such as gum disease, which is also easier to treat if caught early. Why bother?

Braces (Orthodontics)

Braces straighten your teeth. The procedure normally takes approximately 18 months, and can be considered when most of the adult teeth have come into place. Determining whether braces are advisable requires an office visit: come in for a free consultation. Not just for Children!


In-office whitening is immediate so the tedium of at-home kits is avoided. It's advisable if you have special event coming up.

Veneers (Porcelain laminates)

A porcelain laminate, or a series of laminates, can make teeth straighter and whiter. It normally takes 2 visits. Are they right for me?

Root Canal

Root canal is the last-ditch attempt to save a tooth: it means the nerve inside is too badly damaged to save, but the outside can still be saved, which will keep the rest of your teeth in their places. If the whole tooth is lost, you'll end up either with an unsightly gap, or requiring a crown and bridge. Not as bad as you think.


If a tooth is lost, for whatever reason, and implant might be the answer. Implants are best thought of as "root replacements." Like roots of natural teeth, they can be built upon. An implant-supported tooth replacement is the closest thing presently available to a real tooth Implants explained.

How often should I have check-ups?

Preschool visits:

From school age, a child should visit a dentist every 1-2 years, depending on how cavity-prone he or she seems to be. Schedule a visit sooner if your child has

As an adult, you should have cleanings and/or check-ups every 6-12 months, depending again on whether you are prone to cavities gum disease.

 Remember that cavities caught early can be treated painlessly with air abrasion; larger cavities may require an injection and drilling.

Payment Issues, including insurance, HMOs and PPOs

I am happy to fill out insurance forms - in fact, I do most electronically, so that my patients are reimbursed more quickly.

I do not accept any insurance payments as full payment.

Under many insurance plans, to do so would be illegal. Suppose I told the insurance company I charged $50 for a filling and they paid me $27, and I did not charge you the remaining $23. If the insurance company discovers that I'm willing to do the work for $27, they could well reduce their customary fee to much less, say $12. With HMOs, a dentist agrees to work for a flat fee, but it is a much reduced fee in return for a promised increase in patients walking in the door.

Often the only way to make such an arrangement profitable is to rush patients in and out as quickly as possible: half-hour or even quarter-hour appointments are common, and delays in the waiting room are habitual. Now consider that a simple filling has a minimum of 15 separate steps. Skipping or not focusing on any one of them may result in eventual failure. Many dentists working for insurance companies are hard-working and conscientious; but that doesn't give them any more minutes in the hour or hours in the day. Hence the common back-ups in the schedule whenever a complicated procedure is required.

Every month I see patients who have gone to dentists who participate in their insurance plans, but who return because the level of care and attention is not the same as in a one-on-one relationship with one's patient.

I respect your time as well as mine. When you schedule a visit, you will not become intimately familiar with my waiting-room. I am proud to seek out the best in techniques, materials and laboratory workmanship for my patients.