New Patients at Lakeville Dental Associates
Everything you need to know before your visit.
What to Expect on Your First Visit
A comfortable experience awaits at our Lakeville dental office.
Welcome to Lakeville Dental Associates, where your oral health is our top priority! Our dedicated oral healthcare team is committed to providing you with the highest quality of care tailored to your specific needs.
Prepare for an inviting journey to better oral health at our Lakeville dental office! Here is what you can expect:
Benefit from streamlined processes, including digital forms to complete beforehand and text message reminders.
Feel a friendly and inviting atmosphere as soon as you step into Lakeville Dental Associates (please bring identification and any necessary information).
Enjoy individualized care from our dentists, whether you need a simple check-up, stunning cosmetic treatment, or total smile makeover.
During your appointment, indulge in a relaxing dental visit with TVs, blankets, neck pillows, massage chairs, and nitrous oxide options.
Following your treatment, we will openly and honestly discuss any proposed treatment plans and associated costs, ensuring you receive the necessary care. We are committed to supporting you in achieving a radiant smile, improved oral health, and renewed self-confidence.
- Family: You will experience a positive, honest, and compassionate environment and benefit from our commitment to providing comprehensive care.
- Be Better: Committed to ongoing growth, we strive to serve you with the best care, innovative techniques, and continuous learning.
- Walk the Talk: We avoid shortcuts and provide you with fairness, honesty, thoroughness, and quality in all diagnoses and treatments.
- Fun: Our passion ensures a practice where you will want to come, and team members are excited to do their best for you.
- Bring Your Best, Leave the Rest: We bring our best selves to work to give you the highest level of treatment.
Patient Forms
We aim for an efficient visit every time you see us.
We prioritize your comfort and value your time. Upon reserving an appointment, we will provide online forms for you to complete essential information, such as health history, before your visit. This ensures a smooth experience and saves you time. We’re firm believers in fostering relationships and cultivating a robust partnership in your oral health journey. Kindly review the following agreements that contribute to sustaining these partnerships.
Discover Our Positive Impact on Lakeville
Read the reviews of our Lakeville dentist.
Finance & Insurance
At Lakeville Dental Associates, we can accept any dental benefit or PPO insurance plans that allow you to choose your provider. As an unrestricted provider, we are not bound by contracts with specific dental insurance companies. This allows us to prioritize quality care without compromising on patient time or treatment recommendations.
We also accept third-party support such as CareCredit if you are not covered so that you get the care you deserve.
For payments, we accept:
- Major credit cards, including American Express, FDiscover, Mastercard, and Visa.
- Mobile wallet apps, such as Apple Pay®, Google Pay™, and Samsung Pay.
- Online payment.
Contact us with your current insurance information, and we’ll gladly request a breakdown of your benefits from your insurance provider.
Should there be any changes to your dental benefits, we kindly request you to notify us at least 48 hours prior to your appointment. This allows us to update your records promptly and ensure you receive accurate benefits.
We are not a traditional Medicare provider and cannot accept traditional Medicare or any HMO/DMO insurance that mandates a designated provider.
FAQs about Out-of-Network Providers at Lakeville Dental
- Do you accept insurance?
Yes! We welcome and can accept any PPO insurance plan that supports your choice in choosing your dentist. We are dedicated to assisting our patients in maximizing all available dental benefits and rest assured, we’ll work diligently to make the most of any coverage to support your dental needs.
- How does Lakeville Dental ensure personalized care without network constraints? Operating independently from insurance networks allows us to focus solely on your needs and our dentist’s recommendations. This means you can enjoy a personalized and uncompromised level of care, free from the limitations often imposed by network affiliations.
- Why is Lakeville Dental not an in-network provider?
- At Lakeville Dental, our priority is our relationship with the patient. We are committed to delivering personalized, high-quality care without compromise, regardless of patients’ dental benefits or insurance carriers.
- Dental benefit plans vary widely, often changing for patients. Choosing to be in-network with any carrier could potentially hinder our ability to provide the level of care we believe in.
- As a small, family-owned business, we refuse to compromise on the time spent with each patient, treatment recommendations, or the quality of materials and labs used in their care. We’re dedicated to maintaining a high standard of care by investing in our team, techniques, and technology.
- By not being “in-network”, we retain the flexibility to ensure our patients receive the best possible care without the restrictions and limitations associated with contracted providers.
- As an unrestricted provider we can still accept your benefit plans, file claims on your behalf and work with your plan to help maximize those benefits.
- Many patients opt for our Membership Plan as a superior alternative to traditional dental insurance. Lakeville Dental’s dedication to preventive care is epitomized by our membership offering. Our annual plan encompasses essential preventive services, including dental hygiene visits (cleanings), dental exams, routine x-rays, and fluoride treatments, all without the constraints commonly found in traditional dental benefit plans, such as deductibles, waiting periods, frequency limits, or annual maximums. Check our Membership page for more information.
- Additionally, our membership plan offers a 15% discount on all other procedures performed at our office, as well as on products available for purchase. This discount extends to cosmetic procedures, Invisalign, and whitening treatments, none of which are covered by most standard dental benefit plans. Furthermore, the cost of our annual membership plan is typically lower than what most patients would pay for traditional dental benefit premiums. Our membership plan is also free from the restrictions and limitations found in traditional benefit plans. For more detailed information on these measures, please consult our explanation to the right of Common Dental Benefit Limitations.
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- What are some common Dental Benefit Limitations? Dental benefit plans encompass various cost-control measures that affect the benefits you receive. Many carriers typically do not disclose all these measures upfront, making it challenging to predict reimbursement until procedures are completed and the explanation of benefits is received. Below are definitions and examples of some of these measures:
- Non-Duplication of Benefits: This provision means that if a patient has two benefit plans, the secondary plan may not pay any benefits if the primary plan paid the same or more than what the secondary plan allows.
- Missing Tooth Clause: The plan will not cover treatment to replace a tooth if it was missing or extracted before the benefit plan start date.
- Frequency Limitations: These limit the number of times the plan will pay for a certain treatment, regardless of the reason or need. This is often seen with dental X-rays, which are crucial for diagnosing and treating dental problems, even though they may not align with the plan’s frequency.
- Procedure Bundling and Recoding: Plans may combine two different dental procedures into one or recode a procedure to another code, potentially reducing the benefit received. This is commonly seen with X-rays. Bundling and recoding x-rays procedures often result in frequency limitations impacting benefit coverage.
- Downcoding: This involves changing the procedure code to a less complex or lower-cost procedure, impacting the benefit received. For example, changing a composite restoration to an amalgam restoration, even if it’s not recommended or what was performed by the dentist.
- Least Expensive Alternative Treatment (LEAT): Plans may only cover the least expensive treatment option, even if other treatments are medically necessary or preferred by the patient. A common example would be basing payment on a removable partial denture when a fixed bridge was completed.
- Non-Covered Procedures: Benefit plans may exclude certain procedures, such as those performed for cosmetic reasons or certain types of dental wear. A common example would be covering a crown to restore a tooth due to attrition, erosion or abfraction.
Understanding these limitations can help you navigate your dental benefit plan more effectively and make informed decisions about your dental care.
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- Are you accepting new patients? Yes, we are accepting new patients, and encourage you to contact us to get started. Either fill in the patient forms or call us at 952-469-3300.
- Will I still receive quality care if I choose an out-of-network provider? Absolutely. At Lakeville Dental Associates, our commitment to quality dentistry remains uncompromised, regardless of network affiliations. We prioritize your individual needs and provide high standards of care, supported by continuous learning and advanced techniques for optimal dental outcomes.
- What benefits come with choosing an out-of-network provider like Lakeville Dental? When choosing an out-of-network provider like Lakeville Dental Associates, you unlock the advantage of receiving personalized care tailored precisely to your needs and preferences. Unlike in-network providers which can be constrained by contractual limitations, our doctors prioritize your individual requirements when recommending treatment options. At Lakeville Dental Associates, we uphold a commitment to treating every patient like family, ensuring you receive the attention and care you deserve, rather than just being another number.
- What does it mean to be an unrestricted provider?
- Being an unrestricted provider indicates that the dental practice is not “In-Network” or contracted with any insurance carriers for dental benefit plans.
- Despite not being in-network, unrestricted providers can still deliver care to patients with dental benefits. They are able to file claims and assist patients in maximizing their benefits. However, they are not bound by the same restrictions and limitations that in-network providers face.
- As an unrestricted provider, the focus remains solely on what is best for the patient, free from insurance-driven constraints. This enables prioritization of quality care and allows for more time to be spent with each patient, facilitating the creation of personalized treatment plans without the limitations imposed by in-network contract agreements.
- While dental benefit plans vary in structure, many offer comparable benefits when receiving care from an “out-of-network” (unrestricted) provider as they do with an in-network provider.
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- What is the difference between Dental Insurance and Medical Insurance?
- Dental Insurance and medical insurance operate quite differently. Dental insurance, more accurately termed a dental benefit plan, functions more like a discount plan rather than traditional insurance. Unlike medical insurance, dental benefits are not intended to offer comprehensive coverage but rather to assist in sharing the cost of dental care.
- Dental benefit plans establish an “allowed benefit amount” for each service, with plans designed to cover only a percentage of that total. Unfortunately, insurance carriers often provide only the coverage percentage without disclosing the allowed amount, leading to confusion among patients and are often different than the provider’s fee. This confusion is compounded by the fact that the allowed amounts can vary between plans and are frequently influenced by the premium paid. Consequently, lower premium payments may result in lower allowed benefits amounts, even if the plan advertises 100% coverage.
- Dental benefit plans include annual maximums, which are frequently overlooked by patients. Annual maximums represent the total amount the plan will cover for dental services on your behalf each year. These maximums apply regardless of whether you seek care with an in-network or unrestricted provider. Any costs exceeding the maximum become the responsibility of the patient.
- What’s often unnoticed is that the average annual maximum is merely $1,500. Moreover, annual maximums are affected by the premiums paid. As a result, opting for lower premiums often leads to lower annual maximums.
- Another little-known fact about dental benefits is that allowed benefit amounts (the predetermined amount set by the carrier or plan for a dental procedure) and annual maximums have remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. Despite inflation, rising premiums for patients, and increased costs of supplies, materials, and employee wages, annual maximums and allowed amounts have seen little to no increase.
- Dental benefit plans also incorporate numerous cost-control measures, which can significantly vary depending on the plan and are often not readily disclosed by the carrier. Examples include pre-existing condition clauses, frequency limitations, procedure bundling, downcoding, least expensive alternative treatment requirements, and non-covered procedures. These measures dictate whether a procedure is covered under the plan and influence the amount shared by the plan. For more detailed information on these measures, please consult our explanation to the left of Common Dental Benefit Limitations.
- It’s important to remember that a benefit plan functions as a contract involving the patient, employer (unless you purchased the plan), and the insurance carrier. Dental benefit plans are not intended to cover all procedures, and coverage specifics and payment terms are determined by the amount contributed by you or your employer into the plan. We strongly recommend consulting your HR department if you have concerns regarding your employer-provided dental benefit plan, as employers may not always be fully aware of the limitations within the plan to which they’ve agreed.
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