Which Level of Care are You Seeking?

In other words, we would like to help you become as healthy as you choose.  This is a major departure from the way we were trained.  Instead of telling you how healthy you ought to be, we will try to help you understand your current level of health through a comprehensive examination and diagnosis and then let you make a free and informed choice of your preferred future.  Your first choice in this regard is how you would like to begin with us.  There are five levels on which people may choose to be seen in our practice.  Please consider the level of care you prefer at this time and share your level of care with us.
  
LEVEL I.  .  .URGENT CARE .  .  .People in crisis or with an emergency problem such as pain, swelling, or bleeding who need immediate help.  We see urgencies immediately, whenever possible.  Once people are out of pain, they can think more rationally regarding their preferred dental future.
  
LEVEL II . . .REACTIVE CARE . . .People who choose this level of care desire hygiene clinical re-care appointments and additional treatment only when something begins to breakdown.  Generally, people at this level prefer short-term cursory type of examinations, and periodic maintenance.  They usually choose to correct problems with "today" in mind, rather than "tomorrow".  This level of care is reactive.
 
LEVEL III . . .SELF-CARE . . . People choose this level of care if they want to keep their teeth a lifetime in good or excellent comfort, function, and appearance.  People at this level choose to have a comprehensive examination, fully evaluating teeth, gums and supporting tissues, as well as, the dynamic relationship of the jaw to the continued health of the dental system.  During this examination process we jointly formulate a long-term plan for their preferred dental future.  However, due to the current life circumstances, they will maintain a holding plan until they can proceed to a higher level.  They are interested in what they can do, personally, to improve their dental health and arrest any active disease processes, but are not yet ready to commence major treatment.  People at this level are monitored through frequent preventive maintenance visits with our hygienist.

    

LEVEL IV . . .COMPLETE DENTISTRY  (BIOESTHETIC). . . People at this level are similar to the people described in Level III, in that they choose to have a comprehensive examination and formulate a long term treatment plan.  However, people in this level do not want holding plan, but are ready to commence.  They also want to understand the causative agents of dental disease.  Again, they interface closely with our preventive and hygiene departments before, during, and after treatment.
 
LEVEL V . . .WELLNESS RESOURCE . . . People here are in excellent dental health.  They choose to have a comprehensive examination and develop a plan toward a lifetime of disease prevention.  They desire to see the hygienist one to four times per year, with complete monitoring examinations done annually by the dentist.  These people practice highly effective levels of nutrition with home care and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Our intent would be to assist these people to have optimum dental and oral health and assist them in finding other resources that will support this high level of personal well-being.
 
We hope these levels make sense to you.  It is not uncommon for people to begin at a lower level and progress over time.  If we can help with your decision regarding the level most comfortable for you to begin, please call us.  We thank you for the opportunity to serve your dental needs and wants.