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Philosophy Our office strives to provide for optimum dental care in a caring nurturing environment. Continuing education and new materials allow us to provide the best in: cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, elder care, and dental implantology. Insurance Our office accepts most dental insurance except those that restrict dental care to a limited number of dentists. Our belief that is that patient’s should have the right to choose their own dentist or dental specialist to optimize their dental health. We believe that patients should have the right to choose various treatment plan choices as presented by the dentist. We employ the use of the Trojan database system wish allows us to view the dental plans of all employers in California. The use of this system enables us to present a treatment plan(s) with a breakdown of what the insurance plan will cover before treatment begins. New Patients New patients with insurance are requested to pay their deductible and any co-pay at the time of treatment. New Patients without insurance are requested to pay at the time of treatment. The New (initial) patient exam is a comprehensive exam that usually includes but not limited to: Health history review, complete oral exam, oral- cancer screening, periodontal screening, occlusal evaluation, full mouth x-ray, TMJ evaluation impressions for study models and x-tra oral photographs. The initial new patient exam takes about one hour. A return visit (fee is part of the initial exam) includes a treatment plan presentation, discussion of options, insurance breakdown of coverage, coordination of specialty referrals, consult with patient’s physician if needed, and any financial arrangements if needed. We strive to inform the patient of their insurance coverage before the onset of treatment, but sometimes the insurance industry can be vague about benefits. The ultimate responsibility of treatment is with the patient. We recommend a predetermination of benefits if patients are worried about the limits and or restrictions of benefits At this time we do not accept medical or Medicaid patients due to the inability of their fee schedule to adequately address our cost of operations. Financial Arrangements Payments of uncovered benefit percentages are required at the time of services for those patients with insurance. Patients without insurance payment is require at the time of service unless prior financial arrangements are made. Other financial arrangements include; 90-day payment plan with no interest, referral to outside financial resources such as Unicorn financial. We also accept Master Charge, Visa, and ATM. Broken Appointments We realize that broken appointment can occur from time to time and appreciate a 24-hour notice prior to cancellation so we may offer that time to other patients needing dental treatment. We do not charge for cancelled appointments. If however a pattern of repeated cancellation becomes apparent we ask for a prepayment of services scheduled for that day, which then become forfeited if a cancellation occurs. Specialists Delivering of optimum dentistry often entails the use of various dental specialists. Our office coordinates all necessary transfer of information necessary to make treatment transition between offices. The referring specialists are an important part of our practice and their selection is based on our high expectations and patient feedback. The patient always reserves the right to choose their own dental specialist. We encourage patient feedback regarding our referring dental specialists so that we can make modifications or changes. Medical Consult Our office reserves the right to contact the patient’s physician or physicians to discuss health history as it it pertains to the practice and delivery of dental care. Senior Discount Currently our office offers a 5% discount on those seniors over 62. Recall Examination/Cleanings After the completion of treatment the our office will recommend an appropriate recall to match dental needs. This may vary from as often as monthly to annual.
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©1999, Jeffrey Kohlhardt DDS, 1204 Cottonwood Street, Suite 4
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