How much time should I anticipate?

Gum disease therapy requires a very accurate diagnosis to be successful.  Therefore, many factors must be considered.  Please anticipate detailed questions encompassing your dental history, your family’s gum disease history, your general health status, lifestyle issues and future oral health goals.  This process could take up to one hour or more.  For more limited concerns (i.e. tissue evaluation, gum recession, a single dental implant, etc.), a typical office visit can last 30 to 40 minutes.

What information should I bring to my appointment?

We encourage you to download, print and complete the New Patient Consultation Forms prior to your arrival.  These forms consist of: 1) patient contact, insurance and health history, 2) Office Financial Policy, 3) HIPAA consent.  If these forms cannot be completed prior to your appointment, please arrive 20 minutes early so they may be completed in-office.

If available, please bring the Summit View Periodontics Referral Card from your referring dentist.  A current series of x-rays should be hand carried, mailed or electronically delivered to us by your referring dentist or dental specialist.  This will help to reduce any unnecessary x-ray exposure or costs associated with your examination.

The office Financial Policy and insurance paperwork will be processed prior to your examination.  In all situations, our office requires a government issued photo ID (e.g. Drivers License).  Your Insurance Identification Number or Social Security Number must be provided unless all services are to be paid for in advance. It is our pleasure to assist you in submitting reimbursement statements or prior-authorization requests to a third-party payer (AKA- your dental benefits provider).  Please be advised that you are ultimately responsible for any fees associated with your care at Summit View Periodontics.  We have several programs available to help you manage your dental care costs, such as Care Credit.  We accept most major credit cards and debit cards.

Will x-rays need to be taken?

Often times x-rays will necessarily need to be taken to give you the best assessment of your condition.   We employ state-of-the-art, low dose, high definition digital technology to get the most out of each image with the least exposure.  Summit View Periodontics is also proud to offer J. Morita’s latest 3D digital imaging machine which will allow our doctors and your referring dentist to look within your dental structures to “virtually” plan your recommended care.  The need for 3D imaging will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Will my dental procedure be performed on the same day?

No.  As a general rule all procedures (including a periodontal cleaning) must be preceded by a thorough examination.  There are some special circumstances where a procedure can be performed on the initial visit to our office.  Our Patient Care Coordinator can determine if a same day procedure is the best fit for your needs.

How soon can I schedule my recommended therapy?

We will make every attempt to schedule your recommended therapy as soon as possible.  Some procedures that our doctors perform require a significant period of time to complete.  In these cases, it may be more challenging to accommodate your needs.  We highly recommend that you discuss your scheduling needs with our staff in detail during your first visit. Please be cognizant of holidays, weather and insurance deadlines.   It is our office policy to collect a deposit for all scheduled surgical appointments.

How will my dentist know what is recommended by our doctors?

A detailed Consultation Report will be mailed to your dentist outlining your treatment needs.  In some situations, a phone conversation or face-to-face meeting must take place before determining a plan of therapy.   If this occurs, a second office visit will be necessary to discuss this plan with you and select the desired treatment approach.

If I am accompanying a patient because of physical or language limitations, how should I coordinate this?

Summit View Periodontics can accompany the needs of many patients as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.  There are a few situations where patient mobility or size constraints may restrict the use of some aspects of our facility.   In these cases, our doctors will determine the safest and most effective approach to providing the required needs. We do encourage caregivers and family members to attend the initial visit.

For patients with limited English speaking or writing skills, we do encourage that an interpreter or bilingual family member accompany the patient.  Please contact our Patient Care Coordinator to arrange for our New Patient Consultation Forms and Consent Forms may be mailed to you.  Also, it may be helpful that we contact the patient’s referring dentist to clarify the nature of the consultation.