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Questions and Answers
- What insurance do you accept?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- Should I have my silver fillings replaced?
- When should I bring my child to the dentist?
- How can I whiten my teeth?
- What are my options to replace a missing tooth?
Here are just a few questions we are frequently asked; we would be delighted to answer any other questions you may have. Call us today at (408) 257-5300.
What insurance do you accept?
We will bill any insurance. As long as your plan does not specify that you must go to only the dentists on a list they provide, we can successfully bill your insurance, though your benefits may be lower at the “out of network” level. We are a Delta Premier office. We would be happy to answer any specific insurance questions you may have, and will file for preauthorization of benefits for any procedure at your request.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, check, Visa and Mastercard. Payment plans are available if arranged in advance, as is a senior discount.
Should I have my silver fillings replaced?
Silver fillings, or amalgam, have been used to restore teeth for over a hundred years. Silver fillings contain mercury, and while there has been no scientific evidence that the mercury in fillings has any affect on one’s health, this is one reason people choose to have them replaced. More often, patients choose to have silver fillings replaced for cosmetic reasons. Dr. Crowe does not use silver fillings, unless there is no other practical option (which is rare) or unless a patient specifically requests silver (which is even more rare), simply because there are better materials than amalgam today. Tooth-colored fillings, or composite resin, look nicer, usually require less drilling, and actually bond to the tooth, strengthening it much more than silver fillings. Silver fillings weaken teeth considerably, because they are mechanically retained, rather than bonded.
When should I bring my child to the dentist?
If your child is having any problems or you are concerned about anything, please call immediately, regardless of your child’s age. Otherwise, regular dental visits should begin around age two. First, at age 2, bring your child with you to the office so he can watch you get your teeth cleaned and examined. We have lots of books about teeth and other entertainment if he gets bored, but observing your visit is a non-threatening way to get comfortable in the office. At the end of your appointment your child can try sitting in the “big chair” if he wants to, and we’ll show him some dental instruments. Then, around two and half years, bring him in for an appointment of his own. Dr. Crowe’s focus at this age is on making the experience fun and easy; we let the child dictate how much we do. If he will sit in the chair, then we give him a “ride” back in the chair. If that goes well, Dr. Crowe asks if she can see his teeth. If your child allows Dr. Crowe to count his teeth, she may try to polish and floss them. If at any point during this sequence your child doesn’t want to proceed, we stop. We believe that the most important goal at this age is not what we actually accomplish at the appointment, but that we lay the foundation for successful future visits without fear. All our little patients love to see Dr. Crowe, think going to the dentist is fun, and look forward to visiting the prize box at the appointment’s end—if only we had all had such great experiences as children!
How can I whiten my teeth?
You may have limited success with over the counter products, including toothpastes, strips, and so on. Generally, if a product is strong enough to noticeably whiten your teeth, it is too strong to remain in contact with your gums for any length of time without causing harm. Professional teeth whitening is done in such a way that your gums are either completely protected, as in an in-office procedure, or gum contact with the whitening gel is minimal, as with the use of custom-made trays for at-home whitening. We provide both in-office teeth whitening and take-home whitening. Both methods have extremely high success rates and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage of in-office treatment is instant gratification, while that of take-home trays is the ability to touch-up or re-whiten in the future without having to pay for the whole process again. Please call for an appointment to evaluate whether you are a candidate for whitening. Note that crowns, fillings and veneers cannot be whitened; they can only be replaced with new ones made in a lighter color.
What are my options to replace a missing tooth?
The three most common replacements for a missing tooth are a removable bridge, a fixed bridge, or an implant.
- Most people don’t want anything that has to be taken out daily, so a removable bridge, while minimally invasive and less expensive than other options, is considered less desirable.
- A fixed bridge is the traditional replacement, but requires a tooth present on either side of the missing tooth. The drawbacks of a fixed bridge are that the two neighbor teeth must be ground down to support the bridge, that you must use a floss threader to clean under the bridge, and the whole bridge is interdependent: if you get develop a problem with either of the abutment teeth, the whole bridge may need to be replaced.
- An implant is most like having your own tooth. A titanium fixture is placed into the bone under your gum, where the root of your tooth used to be, a procedure that is in fact a lot easier and less painful than you might think. After the fixture is allowed to integrate into the bone (become fixed and stable), which takes four to six months, Dr. Crowe places a new “tooth” onto the implant. You can chew with the new tooth just as you did with your old tooth, and it is completely independent of any other tooth in your mouth, so you can floss normally and problems in any other teeth don’t affect the implant’s function or longevity.
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