Your First Visit
We understand the apprehension some adults and children have toward receiving dental treatment. At River Oak Dental, we make every visit comfortable and relaxing, allowing you to be an active, educated participant in your oral health treatment and maintenance decisions.
Your first visit to our office is a great time for us to get to know each other and determine your main concerns and the best treatment plan for you. Each member of our team is friendly and accessible and we encourage our patients or parents to ask questions. We know that you will feel more comfortable if you understand your treatment and are well informed of each procedure before it occurs so you know what to expect from each and every visit.
You will be greeted at the front desk and given our patient forms if you have not already completed them online (click here). To assist with your paperwork, please bring with you any insurance forms, your insurance card and any medication lists. After a tour of our office, the patient will proceed with diagnostic records, consisting of photos of your teeth and smile and a full mouth series of x-rays.
Dr. Marshall will then perform a thorough examination while reviewing your overall oral health, as well as any urgent treatment. Dr. Marshall will discuss treatment options, work with you to create your personal treatment plan and answer any questions that may arise.
If treatment is necessary, we will explain our fee plan, discuss payment options and answer any questions. We encourage all of our patients to contact the patient coordination team at any time with additional questions or to further review your treatment plan. Ensuring that you are comfortable and that you understand your treatment plan allows you to make the best decisions for your unique situation. This will be key to successfully maintaining your long term oral health.
Scheduling Appointments
At River Oak Dental, we value both you and your time. We make every effort to stay on or ahead of schedule because your work schedule and/or your child's academic schedule is very important to our entire office.
If the patient is of school age, it is unavoidable that some school-time appointments will be necessary. We will be glad to work around certain classes that are very important or ones in which your child may be having problems. We provide your child with school excuses for scheduled dental appointments and it is important for your child to turn these into the proper school official.
We want you to know that our staff will work hard to provide the finest dental care in the most convenient scheduling system possible for you and your family. We, too, have families and careers so we understand your scheduling concerns. We will do everything we can to ensure that treatment goes as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.
Please allow the following amount of time for these common appointment types:
- Treatment Consultation, if not part of the Initial Examination - 30 minutes
- New Patient Examination - 90 minutes
- Preventive Care Appointment (hygiene) - 60 minutes
- Crowns/Caps: Preparation - 90 minutes, Cementing - 30 minutes
- Composite Fillings - 60 minutes
- In-office Teeth Whitening - Please ask for details
Missed Appts & Cancellations
Many of our patients visit us during their work day, so we do our best to always run on (or ahead of) schedule. As a consideration to your fellow patient, please arrive 5 minutes early for your scheduled appointment. We will try our best to see you, if you arrive late. However, out of respect for other patients, we will have to see them at their scheduled times, as well. This may require you to reschedule some or all of your planned treatment.
MISSED APPOINTMENTS:
While we don't charge for your first broken appointment, we do ask that you notify us 2 business days' in advance if you cannot keep an appointment, so we may make the appointment available to other patients. We consider any scheduled appointment as confirmed at the time it is appointed. Breaking an appointment without the required notice prevents us from treating your fellow patients who may be in urgent need of care, please be considerate.
RESCHEDULING:
In the rare instance that you should need to cancel or change an appointment, please call our office immediately.
Frequently cancelled or missed appointments can lead to decay and/or require additional treatment. Cancel only if it is an emergency as the appointment schedule is typically full several weeks for Dr. Marshall and several months for our hygiene team from any given date.
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Financial & Insurance Info
Many former patients have said restoring their smile is the best investment they ever made-an investment in themselves! We work hard to make creating and maintaining a healthy smile affordable for you and your family.
FINANCING:
Most patients prefer to begin an automated payment plan when treatment is presented. This prevents you from having to make a single larger payment before each appointment and allows you to focus on your treatment rather than on payments. Our financial coordinator can work with you to create a plan that works for your budget, having a plan is the first step toward optimal dental health!
Care Credit financing allows you to make monthly payments over an extended period of time at low, competitive rates. Pre-approval is required, CLICK HERE to apply. There is a $500 minimum for using Care Credit.
PREPAYMENT DISCOUNT:
If payment is made in-full, by cash or check, when your treatment plan is presented, we offer a 5% book keeping courtesy discount. The prepayment discount is not applicable to preventive maintenance, to patients who already receive a discount through their insurance coverage or patients who are using our financing options.
INSURANCE:
For your convenience we will gladly provide you with a complimentary benefits check and analysis at any time. Upon treatment, we can submit both predetermination and initial insurance claims pertaining to charges for care rendered in our office. However, please be aware our primary financial relationship is with our patients or their families and not with their respective insurance companies. Ultimately, payment is the responsibility of the patient, regardless of insurance determination.
Know your benefits before treatment starts. We will be happy to contact companies to help you determine the maximum benefits available to you. For your convenience, we will accept payments from your insurance company assigned to us by the insured. Such payments will be credited accordingly, to your account. We are only able accept PPO Dental insurance plans, please call our office for a Complimentary Benefits Check.
In the event your insurance company does not pay the expected benefits, you as the responsible party, will be required to pay any balance. We prefer payment by cash or check. However, for your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and offer financing through Care Credit.
