Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
• Oral Cancer Screening
  The documentation of the examination must be comprehensive. Head and neck, TMJ, soft and hard tissue, periodontal probing, oral cancer screening, etc. An entry, which states “exam,” does not tell the procedure.

Preventive

• Fluoride Treatment
  Read your contract proposal carefully to uncover restrictions and limitations. There are times a service may be covered with a fee attached but limit many of your patients from receiving the benefit. This is often the case with occlusal guards, fluoride treatments, and missing tooth clauses.
• Dental Sealants

Restorative

• Veneers
  Submit an intraoral image to document fractures, missing tooth structure, and signs of decay when filing insurance claims for crowns, bridges, and veneers. We recommend images for all crown/bridge/veneer diagnoses at the time of diagnosis or before the prep.
• Crowns
  “I would be more than happy to answer that question for you. I want to give the most accurate information – may I ask a few questions? Have you had a diagnosis or treatment plan for this? Is it a front tooth or a back tooth? Has the tooth had endodontic treatment? Does it have a post? Is the tooth broken, or does it need a build-up? Is there any decay in the tooth? Are you asking for the fee on precious metal, semiprecious metal, porcelain fused to precious metal, porcelain fused to semiprecious metal, or a full ceramic crown?”
• Bridges

Implants

• Dental Implants
  Patients have a right to select optional treatment and pay out of pocket for the upgrade. Patients may also choose not to bill their insurance company for the optional treatment.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Surgery

Orthodontics

• Orthodontics
  The two most common reasons patients decline or hedge on proceeding with treatment are anxiety and financial constraints. Whenever possible, provide options for the patient in terms of anxiety management and various financing options. We recommend having three external financing options and internal financing plans limited to 3 months or less. Exceptions can be made for higher-fee treatment such as orthodontics, not to exceed 6 months.
• Braces
  “As you know, Susan has a beautiful smile. We were both noticing some relapse she has had from her braces as a teenager. I let her know you could give her some options to correct this.”