Treatment Plan - A Must!

Are you trying to determine the best approach to your dental care? Has your dentist made recommendations that you are uncertain how to interpret? Did your dentist tell you what your expenses will be without written specifics? Do you know if it includes other dentists or lab fees? I get asked daily to create an estimate for patients often based on minimal patient information. Generally, patients are responding to an extensive medical treatment recommendation and/or an associated exorbitant expense that is difficult to absorb. Often patients are overwhelmed with trying to interpret the recommendations and initiate the treatment process, sometimes jeopardizing their dental health by delaying treatment. I’ve developed a comprehensive list of questions to ask your dentist about. Don’t be shy. Determine if there is an associated cost with a written treatment plan. If you are asking for an alternative consult, for example considering dental tourism, request you’re x-rays: if you have paid for them, they are yours but you may need to sign a medical release. Orthopantographic (OPG) x-rays are the best suitable for external review; they can be EM’d digitally. Regardless of age, if a thorough dental restoration is diagnosed, identify the following to thoroughly understand the proposed treatment. :Existing bone and gum status. If you require implants, your bone must be stable to secure the implants. If you require bone grafting, it is very expensive regardless of where it is done and this is important to know in the planning process. :Any required extractions, e.g. the remaining teeth - do they require extraction? :Recommended number of implants and location. Be certain the implant cost includes the a) abutment b) placement, and the type. :Any and all prosthetics which could include: a. permanent long term denture b. bridges: permanent or removable :Are there associated lab fees with the prosthetics? :If you require additional consults (with another specialist), is there a consultation fee and required repeat x-ray? For example, at Kreativ, all our dentists are onsite and you wouldn't pay for a consult if you required an examination by one of the other dentists. This is commonly referred to as a ‘curbside consult’ :Who will place the implant, and if your general dentist will place the implant, how many does he/she place a year? :If you see a specialist for the implants will they place the crown? The treatment plan should include the numbering of all teeth, the number of phases required and the healing times between treatments.