Office Visits

What Will Happen on the First Visit?

Please make sure that the child is accompanied by the person authorized to make decisions regarding dental treatment.

We pride ourselves on a very friendly, inviting environment and we do all we can to help put you and your child at ease. In keeping with that effort, we encourage you to accompany your child in the exam room. We also encourage you to talk to your child (if mature enough) about what to expect before coming in, using simple vocabulary that he understands; without giving too many details. Sometimes explaining too much increases the dental anxiety of a child. Please, refrain from using words that might cause apprehension and unnecessary fear, such as "needle", "shot", "pull", "drill" or "hurt". The office makes a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.

At your first visit with us, we will spend time getting to know you and your child.

During the appointment, we will review your child's medical and dental history. We will gently examine your child's teeth, gums and soft tissues, as well as the dental development. We might take necessary XR, to help us establishing a diagnosis, and treatment plan. A prophylaxis and Fluoride application might also be performed.

Part of the visit to our office includes motivating your child toward healthy diet and hygiene to get them off to a great start. For additional information on diet and dental health, please visit our Learning Center.

Do We Allow Parents Back During Treatment?

During future appointments (fillings, extractions, impressions, etc), we might suggest that you allow your child to accompany our staff through the dental experience. Experience has shown that children tend to do better when their attention can be focused in one direction. Dr. Torres-Ramirez has extensive training in behavior management and will work with your child to establish a close rapport by presenting things in a more child-friendly manner. Part of the goal is to give children the confidence that they can "do it on their own." There's nothing better than seeing a proud child leaving after treatment, eager to tell mom or dad how great they did.

However, if you choose, you are more than welcome to accompany your child to the treatment room. We will ask you to be a "Silent-Observer". We really appreciate if you avoid words like "I AM NOT GOING TO LET THE DENTIST HURT YOU” as comments such as these can create distrust in children. By no means will we hurt your child. Dental treatment is medically necessary treatment; and we can expect a child to behave as a child, not as an adult.

Can Siblings Come to the Treatment Rooms While Working With a Patient?

For the safety and privacy of all patients, other children who are not being treated should remain in the reception room with a supervising adult.

Scheduling Appointments:

The office attempts to schedule appointments at your convenience and when time is available. Preschool children should be seen in the morning because they are fresher and we can work more slowly with them for their comfort. School children that have extensive dental work needs, or requires sedation/analgesia should also be seen during the morning. Dental appointments are an excused absence. Missing school can be kept to a minimum when regular dental care is continued.

Since appointed times are reserved exclusively for each patient we ask that you please notify our office 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep your appointment. Another patient, who needs our care, could be scheduled if we have sufficient time to notify them. We realize that unexpected things can happen, but we ask for your assistance in this regard. There may be a missed appointment charge if 24-hour notice is not given.

We try to keep on schedule, however, we may need extra time performing treatment on a child, children's behavior is often unpredictable. We ask for your understanding and Thank You for your Patience.

Payment and Insurance

We are Tricare-Met Life providers for Active-Duty personnel and their families. Please verify your enrollment prior to the appointment.We will submit claims directly to Met Life.

If you have ANOTHER other dental insurance, we will gladly help you fill-out the dental claim for you to submit so that you can get direct reimbursement from them for the payment of the dental services rendered to your child, but Please understand we are unaware of the type of coverage you may have.

PAYMENT FOR RENDERED SERVICES USING OTHER INSURANCE, IS EXPECTED THE DAY OF TREATMENT. WE ACCEPT CASH, GIROKARTE, MASTER CARD AND VISA.

Insurance companies set their own schedules and each company uses a different set of fees they consider allowable. These allowable fees may vary widely because each company collects fee information from claims it processes. The insurance company then takes this data and arbitrarily chooses a level they call the "allowable" UCR Fee. Frequently this data can be three to five years old and these "allowable" fees are set by the insurance company so they can make a net 20%-30% profit.

Unfortunately, insurance companies imply that your dentist is "overcharging" rather than say that they are "underpaying" or that their benefits are low. In general, the less expensive insurance policy will use a lower usual, customary, or reasonable (UCR) figure.