LEARN ABOUT OUR DENTAL SERVICES IN PENSACOLA, FL

A. No, many patients do not have a dentist and/or may not have a referring provider. Referrals from a General Dentists are helpful in most cases and are preferred for complex cases such as implants. Many simply find us based on the recommendation of other patients. This is not a problem at all. We are happy to evaluate you and develop a treatment plan to suit your individual needs. 

A. If you do not have a General Dentist and your care will need to be coordinated with one for restorative needs we will be happy to refer you. If you ARE a patient of record at a general dentist’s office and are referred we would ask that a referral form be faxed, emailed, or presented by their office so we can review their assessment of your needs and be better prepared for your initial visit.

A. We are not contracted insurance providers, however, this does not mean your insurance cannot be filed and used. We will file all insurance claims for each patient whenever possible. Certain insurance companies will not let us file on the patient's behalf, and in those cases we provide everything needed to file your claim (i.e. procedure codes, fees, etc.), and will gladly assist in this process. We strive to make the filing process as simple as possible for all our patients. We have two full-time insurance coordinators who will review each patient’s treatment plan, file insurance claims, and communicate the available benefits to patients prior to surgery. This is done to minimize any confusion regarding costs associated with surgery prior to the day of surgery.  

There are many different insurance companies and even more individual plans. Dealing with insurance companies can often be frustrating and confusing. Let our coordinators do the legwork and take the frustration out of the process. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and will work to make the whole process as hassle-free as possible.

Please note that Braxton & Chicola are not Medicare providers, and as such we are not allowed to file Medicare claims on behalf of the patient.

A. If you were told you are not a candidate for dental implants in the past and are still interested in this treatment, we would be happy to evaluate you and offer a second opinion. For a variety of reasons you may not be a good candidate, in which case we will inform you that we agree with the opinion given by your previous practitioner and will indicate why we feel this way. However, many times people are told they are not candidates because they do not have enough bone in the area of the missing tooth at the time of their initial evaluation or due to limitations that may no longer exist due to recent advances in implant and bone grafting technology. With modern bone grafting techniques, our experienced surgeons are now able to place implants predictably and successfully in many patients who were previously not thought to be good candidates. If we feel you are NOT a good candidate, we will review the factors that currently prevent you from being an implant candidate. Many times these factors are reversible (i.e. Heavy smoking habit, uncontrolled diabetes) and we can re-evaluate things further when these causes have been eliminated.

A. Typically patients are seen for an evaluation prior to surgery. There are many factors to consider prior to surgery, including but not limited to the amount of time needed for the procedure, the time available on the surgeon's schedule, health and medical conditions of the patient, type of anesthesia employed, cost of surgery, and the need for coordination of care with other providers such as the general dentist or the patient’s physician providers (i.e. primary care, cardiologists, oncologists, etc.). Certain simple procedures (i.e. extraction of a single tooth) may be done on a same-day basis if time is available and other necessary conditions are met. We make every effort to accommodate each patient’s needs, and if a same-day procedure is not possible, we will make every effort to schedule you as soon as possible.