What To Expect At Your First Visit

Dr Ridder Dr Beavers and Dr Durham of Kokomo Family Dentistry

Visiting a new dental office can be a scary or intimidating venture, especially if it has been a while since you last had your teeth examined and you don’t quite know what to expect.  We want to help alleviate your fears by giving you an idea of what to expect on your first visit to our office.  

Prior to your appointment, you will likely be contacted by a member of our team to gather more information to prepare us for your appointment.  We want to ensure we can fully meet your needs and expectations.  You will be asked to provide information regarding your last dental visit and any recent dental x-rays, contact information, information regarding your dental insurance, and any concerns you would like to have addressed during your visit with us.  You will be given the opportunity to fill out your new patient paperwork ahead of your appointment through a link provided by email or text. 

However, if you prefer, you can simply fill out your new patient paperwork in our office when you arrive for your appointment.  If you do elect to fill out paperwork in the office, please arrive about 15 minutes before your designated appointment time.

Your first visit to our office will be a comprehensive examination to determine the current state of your oral health and any areas of the mouth that may require treatment.  Part of this examination is to determine the health of the supporting structures for your teeth, including the bone and gum tissue.  This is done by obtaining updated x-rays and thorough charting of your gum tissue.  Your dental hygienist will help guide you through this evaluation to determine which type of dental cleaning is right for you.  While routine cleanings can be done in the absence of disease, more advanced cleanings may be needed if gum infection or periodontal disease is present.  If you do require a specialized cleaning to address gum or periodontal disease it may not be possible to complete your cleaning at this initial visit.  Please understand, we never want to rush your care and want to ensure that you receive the best quality of treatment. 

Our office uses digital x-rays to get a real-time picture of your oral cavity.  Digital x-rays are very safe and provide your dental team with integral information which cannot always be determined from an oral examination alone, including cavities hiding between the teeth, infection at the base of a tooth, unusual tooth formation, or pathology.   We will always minimize the number of x-rays taken to provide us with necessary information while reducing your radiation exposure.  

Your dentist will review all your dental x-rays and do a clinical evaluation of your teeth, tissues, jaw joint, and oral cancer screening.  Your dentist will inform you of the findings and educate you on your options for treatment.  Together, you will create a dental plan tailored to meet your individual needs. 

Lastly, your dental team will review proper oral health care routines to help you improve your dental health.  You may be surprised that some small changes in technique or product may provide a big change in your dental health.  Diet plays an important role as well in the development of cavities and dental infection.  Your provider can give you some dietary tips and tricks to minimize your risk of decay.  

Regular dental checkups are recommended every 6 months for most patients, and sometimes more frequently if your dentist recommends it.  Maintaining regular checkups will help us discover any potential dental problems before they can become bigger and more costly to treat.  

New Patient FAQ’S

Understand that regardless of any insurance status, you are responsible for the balance due on your account. You are responsible for any and all professional services rendered. This includes but is not limited to: dental fees, surgical procedures, tests, office procedures, medications and also any other services not directly provided by the dentist.

FULL PAYMENT is due at the time of service. If insurance benefits apply, ESTIMATED PATIENT CO-PAYMENTS and DEDUCTIBLES are due at the time of service, unless other arrangements are made.

UNPAID BALANCES over 90 days old will be subject to monthly interest of 1.0% (APR 12%). If payment is delinquent, the patient will be responsible for payment of collection, attorney fees, and court costs associated with the recovery of monies due on the account.

Missed Appointments

Unless we receive notice of cancellation 48 hours in advance, you will be charged $50. Please help us maintain the highest quality of care by keeping scheduled appointments.

Please remember your insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. We are not a party to that contract. As a courtesy to you, our office provides certain services, including a pre-treatment estimate which we send to the insurance company at your request. It is physically impossible for us to have the knowledge and keep track of every aspect of your insurance. It is up to you to contact your insurance company and inquire as to what benefits your employer has purchased for you. If you have any questions concerning the pre-treatment estimate and/or fees for service, it is your responsibility to have these answered prior to treatment to minimize any confusion on your behalf.

Please be aware some or perhaps all of the services provided may or may not be covered by your insurance policy. Any balance is your responsibility whether or not your insurance company pays any portion.

The following specifies your rights about this authorization under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended from time to time (HIPAA).

1. Tell your provider if you do not understand this authorization, and the provider will explain it to you.

2. You have the right to revoke or cancel this authorization at any time, except: (a) to the extent information has already been shared based on this authorization; or (b) this authorization was obtained as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage. To revoke or cancel this authorization, you must submit your request in writing to the provider at the following address: 604 E Blvd St Suite A, Kokomo, IN
46902

3. You may refuse to sign this authorization. Your refusal to sign will not affect your ability to obtain treatment, payment, enrollment or your eligibility for benefits. However, you may be required to complete this authorization form before receiving treatment if you have authorized your provider to disclose information about you to a third party. If you refuse to sign this authorization, and you have authorized your provider to disclose information about you to a third party, your provider has the right to decide not to treat you or accept you as a patient in their practice.

4. Once the information about you leaves this office according to the terms of this authorization, this office has no control over how it will be used by the recipient. You need to be aware that at that point your information may no longer be protected by HIPAA. If the person or entity receiving this information is not a health care provider or health plan covered by federal privacy regulations, the information described above may be disclosed to other individuals or institutions and no longer protected by these regulations.

5. You may inspect or copy the protected dental information to be used or disclosed under this authorization. You do not have the right of access to the following protected dental information: psychotherapy notes, information compiled for legal proceedings, laboratory results to which the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) prohibits access or information held by certain research laboratories. In addition, our provider may deny access if the provider reasonably believes access could cause harm to you or another individual. If access is denied, you may request to have a licensed health care professional for a second opinion at your expense.

6. If this office initiated this authorization, you must receive a copy of the signed authorization.

7. Special Instructions for completing this authorization for the use and disclosure of Psychotherapy Notes. HIPAA provides special protections to certain medical records known as Psychotherapy Notes. All Psychotherapy Notes recorded on any medium by a mental health professional (such as a psychologist or psychiatrist) must be kept by the author and filed separately from the rest of the clients medical records to maintain a higher standard of protection. Psychotherapy Notes are defined under HIPAA as notes recorded by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint or family counseling session and that are separate from the rest of the individuals medical records. Excluded from the Psychotherapy Notes definition are the following: (a) medication prescription and monitoring, (b) counseling session start and stop times, (c) the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, (d) the results of clinical tests, and (e) any summary of diagnosis, functional status, the treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date. Except for limited circumstances set forth in HIPAA, in order for a medical provider to release Psychotherapy Notes to a third party, the client who is the subject of the Psychotherapy Notes must sign this authorization to specifically allow for the release of Psychotherapy Notes. Such authorization must be separate from an authorization to release other dental records.

8. You have a right to an accounting of the disclosures of your protected dental information by the provider or its business associates. The maximum disclosure accounting period is the six years immediately preceding the accounting request. The provider is not required to provide an accounting for disclosures: (a) for treatment, payment, or dental care operations; (b) to you or your personal representative; (c) for notification of or to persons involved in an individuals dental care or payment for dental care, for disaster relief, or for facility directories; (d) pursuant to an authorization; (e) of a limited data set; (f) for national security or intelligence purposes; (g) to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials for certain purposes regarding inmates or individuals in lawful custody; or (h) incident to otherwise permitted or required uses or disclosures. Accounting for disclosures to dental oversight agencies and law enforcement officials must be temporarily suspended on their written representation that an accounting would likely impede their activities.

Thank you for choosing us as your dental care provider. We are committed to your treatment being successful. Please understand that payment of your bill is considered part of your treatment. The following is a statement of our financial policy which we require that you read and sign prior to any treatment. It is our hope that this policy will facilitate open communication between us and help avoid potential misunderstandings, allowing you to always make the best choices related to your care.

Let’s Get Started

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Call Us:

(765) 864-2325

Office Hours :

Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm

Email Us :

appointments@kokomodentistry.com

Address :

604 East Boulevard, Suite A, Kokomo, IN 46902

(765) 864-2325

604 East Boulevard, Suite A, Kokomo, IN 46902

Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm

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