FAQ

Do you take my insurance? Why?

That depends on what exactly you are asking. If you are asking if we are in your insurance company’s network of preferred providers and you have Blue Cross/Blue Shield, we are in-network. Also, if you have Delta Dental we are a premier network provider. If you have any other insurance provider, we gladly submit to your insurance but as out-of-network providers. We no longer take Medicaid but can direct you to providers who do.

Preferred providers are contracted with individual insurance companies to provide dental care to their members usually at a discount in price. Even if a dentist is not a preferred provider, they can accept your insurance, they just are not under contract with that particular company and can charge their full fee.

We are in-network with Blue Cross/Blue Shield and in Delta Dental Premier Network because these are the two most common dental insurers in our area and because the discount in fees is reasonable. As a tradeoff, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental directs members to us as in-network providers.

If you have questions or concerns about your insurance, please don’t hesitate to call Chappell Family Dentistry and a helpful member of our team will be happy to assist you!

Do you treat children, perform root canals or do extractions?

Dr. Dickey is a general dentist and provides procedures for many different ages and types of people. However, he wants you to have an easy time with whatever treatment you may need. If he believes that your circumstance requires the expertise of a specialist, he will refer you to a specialist in the area that he trusts.

We extract many teeth in our office but can only tell you if it’s practical after reviewing your medical history and examining the nearby anatomy and root structure of the tooth. Similarly, only after reviewing the unique anatomy of a tooth can we determine if it is a root canal we should perform here in our office or not. If we can’t do either procedure, we have great oral surgeons and an endodontist nearby who can.

Dr. Dickey loves working with children and can treat most ages and simple cases in the office. If a child has extensive needs or is too young to cooperate, however, we may refer you to a pediatric dentist who is equipped to handle children’s unique needs and provide sedation if necessary.

At Chappell Family Dentistry, we patients of all ages who have a variety of dental needs. But if we feel your specific problem would be best handled by a specialist, we work with highly-skilled professionals to whom we can refer you.

Why is dental care so expensive? I can go to Mexico and get it done for half the price!

In the United States, dentists are subject to many laws and regulations. To become a licensed dentist, you have to attend four years of college followed by four years of dental school. Dental school is not inexpensive, and young dentists can come out with hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loans.

In the US, we also have strict sanitation regulations, radiological regulations, and ongoing continuing education requirements to ensure that the public that dentists are safe, clean, and knowledgeable. If a dentist does not meet the standard of care, patients can hold the doctor accountable through legal means.

If you see a doctor in another country, they don’t have the same sanitation requirements, so you run the risk of transmissible diseases from any previous patients. Their supplies and equipment aren’t approved by the FDA, so may not be safe and could injure or harm you.

And since the dentists themselves didn’t have the same education, they may not have the knowledge and education to do a procedure correctly or safely. If something goes awry, you have no way to hold them accountable. If you choose to seek dental care in another country, you also must travel back to that country on short notice to treat any emergencies!

We understand that the cost of dental treatment is a challenge for many people. If you have concerns, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We offer interest-free CareCredit financing and accept all major credit cards.

Why do I need x-rays? I don’t want any radiation!

Despite our thorough exams, there are places in your mouth that we just can’t see without an x-ray. Between your teeth, where most cavities begin, it is extremely difficult to see decay until it has gotten extremely large.

By not getting radiographs, cavities sometimes continue to grow to the point where something breaks or begins to hurt. When this happens, a tooth may need more than a simple filling. Dental radiographs allow us to catch problems when they are small so that they can be treated more easily and inexpensively.

Radiographs or x-rays are not the only source of radiation exposure a person receives. In fact, most of the radiation a person receives during a year is from environmental sources.

We measure the radiation in units called microsieverts. Each dental radiograph accounts for about 5 microsieverts. For a comparison, eating one banana is about .1 microsieverts of radiation. The average person receives about 10 microsieverts over the course of a day just from the environment, and during a flight from New York to Los Angeles, you can expect 40 microsieverts. So, relatively speaking, dental radiographs are low in radiation, especially when you consider that a chest x-ray is 20 microsieverts, and a mammogram is 3000!

Dr. Dickey, when was the last time you wore a tie?

As a general rule, I do not believe in wearing ties. They feel uncomfortable to me, like somebody is slowly trying to choke me. That being said, there are certain occasions where I have been coerced into wearing a necktie. I only do so after complaining loudly to anybody that will listen to my plight.

I do remember wearing a necktie to prom in high school, although I’m pretty sure it was one of those clip-on types, and strictly speaking, I’m not sure if that counts. Even at my own wedding, I’m pretty sure it was a clip-on type, because the tux was rented. In fact, the only time I remember wearing an actual tie was for pictures in dental school. I may have worn a tie under my graduation gown, though I find that highly unlikely. I can safely say that it has now been over six years since I have worn a tie that actually tied.

If you can find any evidence of me wearing a necktie since 2011, it is probably not from a reliable source. I would recommend burning said evidence, as I believe dishonest sources have no place in dentistry.

If you have made it through this lengthy tirade, you no doubt have a sense of humor, and we will get along great.