Dental Health Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take my insurance?
With the exception of Mashantucket Pequot Benefits, we are a non-participating office. We submit all dental claims for you. Most Delta Dental and Blue Cross of RI plans send the check directly to the patient, so if you have one of those insurance plans you will be required to pay for your services in full at the time of your appointment. Your insurance will reimburse you directly. Other plans may require you to pay a portion of the fee for your services and that is also due at the time of service. You may call our office or your insurance company directly if you have any further questions.
Why don't you participate with insurances?
The Doctors decided when they went into practice that they wanted to be able to provide the best treatment for their patients' particular situation and not base treatment on what the insurance company will cover. The insurance companies also may require that we use certain labs, and the doctors prefer to be able to choose a lab that they feel will provide you with the best crown, implant, bridge, or denture.
The fact that we'd have to accept a lesser fee for the services that we provide was also a contributing factor in our decision. We strive to provide you with the best care by offering the latest developments in dental products and technology, devoting a whole hour to an adult cleaning appointment, providing extended office hours and a large skilled staff to support such hours. We are comfortable with the fees that we charge and that we charge everyone the same fee regardless of their insurance situation and choose not to accept less. We know we would be unable to provide our patients with the quality of care they are accustomed to if we accepted a fee below what we currently charge.
Do you have a missed appointment/cancellation policy?
We do require 24 business-hours notice to reschedule any appointment. We encourage you to try to keep your scheduled appointments to help keep the cost of dentistry down for you. However, if there is no possible way you can make the time that we reserved for you, we ask that you call during office hours to reschedule your appointment. Please speak directly with one of our Patient Care Coordinators. It is important that we have as much notice as possible so that another patient who needs care has the opportunity to take the time that was reserved for you. If you miss your appointment, or cancel within 24 business-hours of your appointed time, then we may charge you a broken appointment fee. This fee will need to be paid before we will reappoint you. If you fail to keep another appointment in the future, then you may be charged up to the full fee for the services that were to be provided at that appointment. The third failed appointment will result in a charge and possible dismissal from the practice.
How many years have the doctors been in practice?
Dr. Woodward and Dr. Kaufman have been in practice for almost twenty years.
Are the doctors continuously seeking further education to keep up with the latest advancements of dental medicine?
Yes! And the staff too. The Doctors and staff maintain their licenses by attending continuing education courses regularly; including a yearly trip to Yankee Dental Conference in Boston. The Drs. spend more than thirty hours each year in continuing education courses. The entire staff is also OSHA, CPR and AED certified.
What does your office offer for payment options?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, checks and cash. We also offer Capitol One Financing for procedures over $300.
What options does your office provide for pain management?
Our office utilizes local anethesia. The doctors and assistants are exceptionally skilled at putting the anxious patient at ease.