Your appointment time is reserved for you and your child. If you are late for your child’s appointment, please understand that we may not be able to accommodate you. If you think that you will be late, please call as soon as possible so that we may advise you if your late arrival can be accommodated or if we will need to reschedule you. We maintain a very strict schedule and must insist that appointment times be respected.
For cancellation we require 48 hours advanced notice. A voice mailbox system is available for messages left after business hours. There is an $84 cancellation/rescheduling fee that is applicable after the second appointment that is missed or rescheduled without proper notice (please note that siblings are considered multiple, individual appointments and will be charged accordingly). Three missed appointments may result in dismissal as a patient from our practice.
Dr. Jenny recognized a need for quality pediatric dental care in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, the city in which she now lives and has grown to love. In a recent statistical survey in Men’s Health Magazine, it was stated that Philly received an “F” when it came to dental health care, ranking it #2 among “American cities with the worst teeth.” Dr. Jenny wants to change this perception and believes that dental health care is only improved and maintained when a patient looks to his or her dentist with trust and understanding. This relationship has to start early knowing the importance of encouraging positive experiences through fun, rewarding interactions with patients at a young age.
At The Children's Tooth Spa, we believe in maintaining caring, close relationships between patients, parents, and doctors. To take care for each child and their smiles in a family oriented way.
As a team, we strive to comfort parents in a relaxing, zen environment while conveying confidence that we are taking care of your child in the best, safest way possible. We know how amazing it feels to be offered a kind gesture, a warm cup of coffee, a hand that opens a door, holds your bag, or helps push your stroller. It feels amazing when a neighbor shares a little light and kindness to allow us to just take a moment and a breath while having confidence that our child is in good hands. We aim to make every dental appointment a place of comfort and zen for the kids as well as the parents. We believe that if we help the parents feel relaxed and secure, the kids will feel that too, and everyone has an amazing experience.
Payment is due at the time service is provided. We accept cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Care Credit.
As a courtesy to our patients, we will help you process your insurance claims. We ask that you pay the deductible and co-payment, which is the estimated amount not covered by your insurance company at the time we provide service to you.
We must emphasize that this is only an estimate and all charges that your child incurs are your responsibility. Your child’s treatment plan is individually tailored to their needs, and is not dictated by insurance. Insurance companies have a wide variety of rules, plan limitations and exclusions that our office may not be aware of. We urge you to read and review your dental policy so that you are fully aware of your insurance coverage.
The Children's Tooth Spa is in network with most PPO plans. Some of the most common plans we participate with are: Aetna PPO, Cigna PPO, Delta Dental, MetLife, United Concordia and Guardian dental insurance.
Caries, or cavities, is the number one most prevalent disease of childhood. It is 5x more common than asthma and 7x more common than hay fever. In general, 54% of kindergarteners and 70% of 3rd graders have experienced tooth decay.
A pediatric dentist will assess whether your child is at increased risk for getting cavities, recognize early signs of cavities, and work with you to decrease the risk and severity of cavities that your child experiences.
The American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend first dental visit by first tooth or age one! We can help you develop a game-plan to avoid the risks associated with childhood tooth decay. Let's work together to set the foundation for good oral health for your child.
We recommend using positive, kid-friendly language to prepare your child for the visit -- as if they are going to their first day of preschool and you are describing your child's teacher. Statements like, "The dentist is so nice and she loves kids! The office has nice toys to play with and books to read. The dentist brushes your teeth to make them sparkly clean and also counts how many teeth you have!" can be helpful.
Would you tell your child, "The teacher won't hurt you!" before their first day of school? Probably not! We also ask that you avoid words like, "hurt," "needle," "poke," "drill," because we do our very best to make sure even kids with cavities are comfortable throughout any treatment.
We use specific, child friendly words and phrases like "happy air, wash your tooth with water and noises, tickle and scrub your teeth." If you're not sure about what to say, let your child know that "the dentist will show you and talk with us about everything before getting started" and give our office a call if you need any other tips. If you are worried about something, please let us know so that we can try to make your child's experience positive.
We accept all PPOs. If we're not directly in network with your insurance, we will submit the claim for you. Every individual benefit plan is different, and we will do our best to calculate the copay.
We are in network with over 20 insurance companies, including:
For out-of network plans we expect payment in full on the day of the visit. It is your responsibility to contact your insurance company and confirm in-network status, ask for an Explanation of Benefits (EOB), a list of approved providers, and the cost for you to see an out-of-network provider. The person who brings the child is responsible for the balance that day. Our fees are average for the area. Once your insurance company processes the claim, you will receive a check in the mail from them anywhere between 4-8 weeks after it is processed.
Keep in mind that the benefits and reimbursements are decided by your employer and the insurance company, and may not correspond with what is recommended to keep your child healthy or our fees. Dental insurance is more similar to a coupon book that you purchase than it is to medical insurance.
Dental insurance is like a coupon book. Your employer and the insurance company decide which benefits they want to provide and place arbitrary limits on the % covered, dollar amount per person or family, and frequency of treatment. There can be waiting periods during which treatment is not a covered benefit despite you paying for and having insurance. Each dental practice sets its own fees which differ from the amount up to which the insurance decides to reimburse.
And, to make it more confusing, what your insurance allows may or may not correspond with what is needed to keep your child healthy.
