OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our Philosophy of Care
Our goal is to be the best dental practice, providing caring, prevention-oriented dentistry of the highest quality. We are committed to providing lifelong dental health in the most comfortable and efficient manner possible. We thank you for entrusting us with your dental needs. We don't take that lightly and will honor that trust by making your well-being our #1 priority.
Why and When We Refer to Specialists
We will make every attempt to fulfill your needs at our office. Our patients' well-being is our top priority. From time to time a patient's condition warrants more definitive treatment only a specialist can provide. An example would be a patient needing gum surgery or a difficult extraction. When this is the case, we will inform you and refer you to a qualified specialist in the area.
Why We Don't Accept HMO Insurance
This office does not participate in HMO capitation insurance programs. To explain why, let us help you understand how these plans work. Under HMO contracts, the dentist is required to deliver care at a flat fee. Under the flat fee arrangement, the dentist is paid so many dollars per year by the plan for each patient enrolled for dental care from the plan's list. This is called a capitation plan. Whether the enrolled patient visits this office or not in a given year, the doctor receives the same payment. The doctor receives the same payment whether the patient needs extensive treatment or none at all. In other words, every time the patient visits his or her office the dentist is losing money. If the patient needs the care of a specialist and the selected dentist refers that patient to one, the doctor is often penalized monetarily by the plan under the terms of contract. What kind of care do you think patients will receive under these circumstances? The answer is "minimal care at best", with a specialty referral being virtually nonexistent. Drs. Scholes and Nielsen are interested in providing the absolute best quality of care and some managed care contracts make this an impossibility.
