|
Dr. Dorfman and Dr. Rice at a
continuing education conference. |
Dr. Rice is passionate about dentistry.
It is not only his job, but it is also his hobby. Where the state
of California requires 50 hours of continuing education every two
years, Dr. Rice routinely attends 150-200 hours each year. When he
graduated from USC, he made the commitment he would dedicate at least
two days a month to continuing education. Dr. Rice has trained along
side Dr. Bill Dorfman, the dentist now famous due to his dental work
on the hit television series “Extreme Makeover.” Dr.
Rice has personally worked with him on several occasions, and has
toured his facility. He’s keeping up-to-date at a pace that
most dentists choose not to keep, and you’ll be able to tell
in his dentistry!
back to top
We work diligently to make sure you’ll
always know what the next steps are. Your hygienist will help you
understand what interval is needed to keep your mouth healthy. We’ll
schedule your sequential appointment before you leave. We will also
send you a card, give you a call, e-mail, or even a text message
when you’re due for your next visit. Please note that, especially
if you’ve never been into our office, the ADA says most people
need to see a dentist three times each year. Make an appointment
today and we’ll help you figure out what schedule is best for
you.
back to top
Yes. We love referrals. Wonderful
people refer wonderful people, so we look forward to treating your
friends with the same expert care we extend to you. Ask us about
our special “Smile Card” and other perks you’ll
receive when sharing the great news of our office’s commitment
to oral health with your friends!
back to top
Our office is very up-to-date on insurance. As a matter of fact, we
have a computer program that links to a national database of insurance
companies. We can look up your insurance provider by your employer
name. We are not part of any provider or HMO plan. However, we find
that 80% of the time, you still have the ability to choose your own
dentist. We’ll do our best to maximize your benefits. We will
complete your claim forms and even help argue your case if your claim
is denied.
If your carrier is up-to-date (in over 70% of the cases),
the claims will be transmitted via computer modem before the end
of your treatment
day! If you prefer, in addition to filing the claim, we will initially
ask you only for your estimated co-payment. Please understand that
this is only an estimate and is based upon the information available
to us. Once your carrier has paid the claim, any difference will
be due upon receipt of our statement. If your insurance company postpones
payment for more than 90 days, we ask that you make the remaining
payment
while we work together to get the insurance company to pay you their
obligations. After the 60-day grace period, the remaining balance
is subject to 18% APR. The range of benefits depends solely on what
your
employer wishes to pursue. Some plans cover as little as 30% or as
much as 100% of dental services, with most falling in the 40-80%
range. Most plans also have a yearly maximum.
Many plans base the amount
of benefit on a schedule of fees arbitrarily developed by insurance
companies. For this reason, you may receive
a lower percentage than the reimbursement level indicated in your
dental plan. For example, if your plan states that it will pay
70% of the
cost of a specific treatment, it means 80% of the fee arbitrarily
determined by the insurance company and not the actual fee charged
by our office.
The financial obligations for the dental treatment are between
you and our office.
back to top
Sure we can! Our patients get
excited when we take a photo of them and then digitally change
their teeth and smile to give them an idea of what they can look
like after a proposed dental procedure. You can take this imaging “before
and after” photo home with you to show your friends and family.
You will have a tangible idea of your options as you make the decision
to enhance and/or create your most beautiful smile.
back to top
Call our regular phone number at any
time. If the office is closed, you’ll be directed to press
9, allowing Dr. Rice to be personally paged to call you back, answer
any questions pertaining to your emergency and then come to the office
for emergency treatment if needed. He lives close to the office and
will surprise you with his willingness and availability for your
emergency care.
back to top
We recommend you put it back
into place and call the office so we can reset it immediately.
Keeping your tooth covered is of utmost importance in this situation.
Call or page us for guidance immediately.
back to top
We consider our relationship
with you to be of primary importance and will always make our recommendations
based on what we believe is the very best treatment for you regardless
of your insurance coverage or financial arrangements. For your
comfort and convenience, we offer a wide range of financial options
and welcome your suggestions and questions.
Pre-payment in full – a
pre-payment bookkeeping courtesy of 5% will be given for direct
payment in full by cash, check or credit card
prior to treatment.
Pre-authorized credit
card agreement – with
your permission and signature, we will charge your MasterCard or
VISA with an agreed payment
amount each month. This allows you to make monthly payments without
applying for additional credit.
Three payments (for fees
over $1000.00) – total
patient obligation may be divided as follows: 50% due at the
first treatment visit, with
the remaining balance split into two equal payments due 30 and
60 days after the first treatment visit.
CareCredit – interest
free payment plans with low payments up to 12 months. With
good credit we can get fast approval by phone.
Dental
Fee Plan – with
fast approval over the phone from Dental Fee Plan, your payment
can be much lower than those available through
our office. DFP carries fixed rates between 9.9% and 11.9%
and can extend term out to 60 months. There is no prepayment
penalty. We will
assist you in contacting them from our office.
Pay as you
go – you may choose to pay your obligation for each
visit with Cash, Check or Credit Card at each visit.
Gradual
Treatment Plan – For those patients on a limited budget.
By prioritizing treatment, those patients who do not have
dental insurance or are on a tight budget can still complete
their dental work by spreading
appointments over several months or years.
back to top
Dr. Rice loves email, so just
click here to write him a note. He’ll respond promptly. You
can also leave him a voicemail and he’ll get back to you
that evening. If it’s something you’d like to speak
with him in person about, just call our office to make an appointment.
back to top
We offer at home and ZOOM in-office whitening options. Make an appointment
today and we’ll look at what the best option for you might be.
back to top
There are so many different ways we
put your safety first: using gloves, masks and glasses; ensuring
sterilization and disinfection of all instruments and counters; testing
our sterilizer weekly to make sure it meets all hospital level standards
and more. Our state-of-the-art sterilization center is something
you can see at any time if you’re interested in learning more.
Each room is cleaned between patients and all proper sterilization
procedures are carried out and monitored in meticulous fashion. Rest
easy at Dr. Rice’s practice – we’re taking care
of you probably better than you’ll ever know!
back to top
Our number one goal is for you to
have a great visit. A great visit is defined by our five-star service
and our top quality dentistry. It starts with a sincerely interested
person greeting you when you call. Then, you’ll have a personal
introduction when you arrive. We make sure you’re 100% comfortable
with every procedure we propose. We take care of all of the little
things that can make a difference in our patient’s day: like
refreshments in the reception area, beautiful floral arrangements
to brighten your mood, and even music or movies for you to watch
during your visit.
We use technology and CAESY educational resources to help aid those conversations and help you
see what we’re
talking about for yourself. We build time into our schedule for personal
conversations
with you that result in a powerful rapport and trust, allowing you
to take confidence in the excellent dentistry we offer. We are trained
in caring not only about your teeth but who you are, what your desires
and needs are, and how you like to be treated. Dr. Rice’s dentistry
is second to none for those addressing comfort, life-long maintenance
and/or the most elaborate cosmetic issues. We could try to describe
the difference all day, but we’d love more than anything to show
you! Make an appointment today!
back to top
We make every effort to make your
visit soothing and relaxing! Nitrous oxide can be administered safely
and comfortably to you through a nose piece. Stereo headphones, DVD
reality glasses, dark glasses, your favorite CD from our selection
or from your own collection, blankets and neck support pillows are
all available for your comfort and relaxation. For some of our most
nervous patients, oral sedation is available. Our friendly staff
is always here to serve you and make you comfortable. Talk to us
about your anxiety and we can be extra sensitive to your needs, as
appropriate.
back to top
CAESY is a great resource for you when it comes to education about
each procedure. So, feel free to read more there. However, no amount
of information will be tailored specifically to your need like a one-on-one
conversation in our office where we can look at your mouth with you,
talk about your goals for comfort and looks and then decide on an action
plan that’s perfect for you. So, please take advantage of our
relationship with CAESY as you feel appropriate, but know that we would
love to talk personally with you about these great restorative and
cosmetic options.
back to top
Yes. Besides cleaning your mouth,
flossing daily adds years to your life by eliminating the bacteria
that’s around our teeth. The bacteria causes infection, which
can seep into your blood stream and cause heart disease. So, besides
the health of our mouth, it’s the overall health consideration
that makes a daily flossing habit so important. For our teeth, the
infection process happens in just a couple of days! Stay on top of
your overall health by flossing regularly.
back to top
You have a few options: traditional
orthodontia or the new clear, removable aligning tray series called
Invisalign (LINK). Our patients have been thrilled with Invisalign,
which accomplishes the goal of better aligned teeth in a short amount
of time (typically nine months to a year). Others who have pressing
elements of their decision, such as time, may opt for veneers, which
give you the smile you dream of in as few as two visits.. Ask us
and we can show you before & after photos of smiles so you can
imagine your better looking front teeth with more vivid detail!
back to top
The word prophy or prophylaxis cleaning
means prevention. Prophylaxis appointments, or cleanings, focus on
preventing disease such as infection, bone loss, gum loss, etc. Periomaintenance
means we’ve gone from a clean/healthy state (where only prevention
is needed) into a deeper state, causing a need to really address
the health issues within your mouth beyond the prevention level of
care. Periodontal maintenance involves going 360 degrees around each
tooth. There’s a difference between preventive cleanings and
periodontal maintenance. But, trust us on this one: both are important
and we’ll always only recommend what you really need.
back to top
Yes, we can! We offer Snoreguards
as an effective treatment for patients with snoring and mild to
moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This patented and FDA approved
method works magic in homes where snoring is an issue. Make an
appointment or contact us for more information today!
back to top
Dr. Rice takes extreme
care when analyzing your features to design a smile that best compliments
you. This includes looking at your teeth, face shape and size, bite
alignment and how you swallow, speak and eat. All of this allows
him to make sure you have a healthy environment without disease and
decay. Smile analysis is not just our way of helping you address
that common question of “what can I do to look better?” but
so much more! Dr. Rice takes everything into consideration to create
a smile that will make you happy for the rest of your life. He’ll
sit down with you to understand your goals and to help you understand
the opportunities to ultimately reach those goals.
back
to top
