Dr. Ken Rhodenizer
Dr. Ahmad Alashi
Frequently Asked Administrative Questions
Can I come in for just a cleaning?
We discourage patients from booking appointments to have their teeth cleaned without also having a thorough dental exam. Good dental health and hygiene rely on comprehensive care. We feel strongly that we have an ethical responsibility to our patients to provide the best, most thorough care possible and that we would not be doing our best on your behalf if you were to only come in for an occasional cleaning.
Do you offer payment plans?
When there are circumstances that make it difficult for our patients to pay an account balance on the day it is billed, we will work with them to find a way to make it affordable. We want to make sure our patients get the treatment they need and sometimes that means spreading payments out over a reasonable period of time.
What is the cost of a new patient exam and initial hygiene appointment?
This fee can vary. It depends on what issues are found and what might be involved in fixing them. Generally, a new patient exam, x-rays and one hour of hygiene services will cost $450.00 or more.
Do you offer evening and weekend appointments?
We currently do not offer weekend appointments but we do offer hygiene and dental appointments on Monday evenings.
Do you offer a seniors' discount?
We do not offer seniors a discount on the services we provide.
Do you put people under for dental work?
We have found relationships with our patients to be the most effective tool for dealing our our patients' anxieties around dental procedures. But for patients who require additional intervention, we will occasionally use Ativan or Valium to help "take the anxiety out of it" without increasing the risk to those patients. We do not offer sedation.
Frequently Asked Clinical Questions
Do I really need this filling / crown / root canal?
We will never tell you that a particular procedure must absolutely be done; it will always be your decision. We will tell you when there is frank decay or infection. We will give you the facts as they pertain to your individual situation, and support those facts with x-rays, photographs or a mirror so you can see the issue for yourself. If you choose not to follow up on our recommendations, that is your choice and we will make note of it in your chart. You will always have the option of following up on our recommendations at a later date.
How long can I expect a crown to last?
If you were to Google this question, you would find a wide range of answers, depending on where you clicked. Suffice to say, a crown is one of the most permanent things we can do to restore a tooth and we would expect it to last for many years.
How long do dental implants last?
Typically, once an implant has integrated (healed), the fixture is there for the rest of your days. Every so often, an implant will fracture but that occurs very rarely.
Can an implant fail?
Research, as well as our own experience, shows that approximately 3% of dental implants fail to integrate (heal) properly. If that happens there are two courses of action: we can remove the failed implant and replace it with another, or remove the failed implant and place a bone graft in the site. After the graft has healed, we will simply place another implant. There is no additional risk of failure if you have already experienced one implant failure. They are an uncommon problem, but one we can overcome with success.
Are there warranties on your work?
Because there are so many variables involved, there are no implied or written warranties for any health care. However, on the rare occasion we see a treatment not hold up as it should, we are willing to discuss alternate treatments and a credit for a portion of the work that was done. This is consistent with our commitment to building relationships with our patients, not simply delivering impersonal assembly-line care. If you are unhappy with the quality of our work, tell us about it - there are no uncomfortable conversations.