Glossary

The Canadian Dental Association recommends that parents bring their child for a first visit to the dentist at the age of one year - or 6 months after the first tooth erupts. By starting early to regularly visit the dentist, your child will learn at a young age the importance of taking good care of his teeth and mouth while developing healthy lifestyle habits. You can begin daily dental hygiene care at home by gently passing a piece of soft, moist cloth on your child's gums before the teeth grow. Thereafter, when the first teeth have appeared, it is recommended to use a toothbrush with soft bristles. To make sure your child's first visit is pleasant, we suggest you visit your dentist before a problem occurs. If you ever face an abnormal situation, bring your child to your dentist as soon as possible. Also, we advise parents who are uncomfortable with in-office dental care to let their child get to their first visit with another family member. Thus, the child is less likely to feel the parent's apprehensions and, as a result, be more inclined and less anxious.

Thanks to the government health insurance program, we do not have to take out our wallet to see a doctor, go to the hospital or undergo certain interventions. For this reason, many people do not realize the true costs associated with health care.                         

A dental clinic is a small and medium-sized business (P.M.E) that offers private health care (except for patients covered by the Régie d'assurance maladie du Québec or R.A.M.Q). The owner dentist must manage a lot of expenses, often high: overhead costs, equipment costs, team member salaries, and a host of other operating costs.                         

We understand the reality of our patients who want to treat them and who do not always have the financial means. That's why we offer funding solutions to help them get the treatments they need. Patients who are not covered by one of our programs also have other options:                         

                            
• government funded dental care (if you are eligible);                             
• reduced-cost dental care in a dental school by students who complete their studies;                             
• dental care performed at the hospital.                                                  

  As the old adage says, "prevention is better than cure", we adhere to this vision that reinforces the importance of preventive dentistry and believe that by brushing your teeth, using dental floss And by visiting your dentist regularly, you will be able to avoid more expensive treatments and prevent the appearance of important dental problems, often due to carelessness.

The choice of an insurance company is made by your employer. It compensates patients according to the coverage rate determined by the plan to which the organization that employs you is a member. Our primary role is to provide you with care and not to take on the responsibilities and obligations of your insurer in its place. The mechanism by which your dentist agrees to claim only the uninsured portion of your care, and then wait until the insurance company reimburses the insured portion, is called the Delegation of Payment. The latter imposes more and more constraints on the dentist and his or her firm, which are detrimental to the company and its administration: management of accounts receivable, frequency of payment, potential charges, account management, bank reconciliations, adjustments Of the insurer's payments, administrative burden, to name a few. All of these constraints have an impact on the cost of care and we can no longer (and do not want to) take on the additional work and costs that insurers are trying to shift us to reduce their own administrative costs. We have always respected our mandate to provide high-quality care. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get paid by insurance companies. Consequently, at the Dents Mon Quartier Dental Clinic, the patient is solely responsible for his / her account. However, we will obviously continue to electronically transmit the claims of our patients to their insurers so that they receive the reimbursement provided for by their insurance plan. Payment arrangements and funding programs are also available when you need them.

In today's society, we are constantly exposed to various forms of radiation: those from household appliances, minerals in the soil, sunlight and dental x-rays. Fortunately, the radiation dose to which patients are exposed when taking x-rays is extremely low. Several technological advances explain the low level of exposure to radiation in the dental field: new digital X-ray machines, which limit the radiation beam; The use of digital sensor supports which prevent the sensor from moving in the mouth and ensure that the x-ray does not have to be repeated; Wearing a leaded apron that protects you from residual radiation. When taking an intraoral radiograph, for example, the dose of radiation emitted is 0.01 to 0.08 mSv2 (millisievert is one of the units of measurement of radiation, 1REM = 0.01 Sv) and 0 , 04 to 0.3 mSv2 for a panoramic radiography. The maximum allowable for the general public is 1 mSv5 per year and 20 mSv5 for workers exposed to radiation, such as dental hygienist and dentist. For comparison, see the chart below.

We prefer to avoid x-rays during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. It is possible, however, that Dr. Charouk, MD, a general dentist, suggests that a patient should take it, but it will be only in case of extreme necessity. Two important factors should be considered when the dentist is to take an x-ray of a pregnant patient: the area to be examined and the dose of radiation transmitted. The dose transmitted for a dental X-ray is fairly low (approximately 0.007 mSv for a panoramic radiography), and the examined (irradiated) region is not located close to or in the axis of the pelvic region. Due to the use of a lead apron on the patient's chest and abdomen, a dental radiograph is not likely to cause harm to the baby. Non-urgent procedures may, however, be postponed after pregnancy at the request of the patient.

We expect patients to give us 48 hours' notice when they can not attend an appointment. When a patient does not provide us with such a notice, a note is left on file for future reference. If a second appointment is missed without a 48-hour notice, a $ 75 fee will be charged to the patient's record and we will treat the patient only once the clinic charges the fee. If a patient misses a third appointment, the protocol of our clinic is to permanently close his file. The latter can no longer receive care from us. Our dental team works to prepare your appointment in order to welcome you and serve you well. To do this, your dentist takes note of your file, prepares the procedure, analyzes the radiographs and plans your treatment. Our secretary meticulously plans the day to 10 minutes so that your wait is minimal. Our hygienist reviews your file, analyzes it and prepares the room ... according to your needs! Our assistant sterilizes and prepares all the instruments necessary for your treatment (and believe us, there are many!), Disinfects the treatment room, etc. You will understand that each appointment requires a lot of planning and involves costs for the clinic (even the preparation of the room), whether the patient presents himself at his appointment or not. If he does not come, the whole team is affected ... When a time slot is reserved for you, it is exclusively for you! Finally, we receive daily emergency calls from pain patients who want to be seen as quickly as possible. The fact of making an appointment and not appearing compels our team and prevents it from receiving these people and relieving them.