logo
Menu
Placeholder tile with menu bar icon

FAQs

transparent png

FAQs

Appointments

How do I schedule an appointment?

Appointments are exclusively scheduled over the phone, although they may be requested via elstonwongdds@gmail.com. Please call 705 721 1143 for the exact available appointment times. At no time is an appointment definitively set until we speak with you. The reason for this is to ensure that our scheduling is done properly; we don’t want you to wait too long if you have an emergency, nor do we want to have open time in our schedule if people need to come in.

If you need to change an appointment time:

Please notify us at least two business days in advance of your appointment if you need to change your appointment time. Operating time is valuable, and short-notice cancellations may or may not be subject to a cancellation fee proportional to the appointment length. (However, we are human too, and we understand that emergencies can arise.) Changing appointment times with little notice hurts everyone – the open time left from your appointment is a time that perhaps another person would have liked to use if enough notice was given.

If we need to change an appointment time:

This can happen if we are running late or early. If we know that we are running late, we will attempt to contact you as soon as we know. If time opens up in our schedule, we may also ask if you can come at that time. These fine-tuning adjustments are needed in order to optimize time management.

We love this question, because it carries the inference that we are goofing off somewhere in the back of the office. The simple answer is this: we run late because someone before you needed more time than they had scheduled. This may be because a procedure required more time, a patient arrived late, or we had to see an extra patient or two for emergencies, but most often it is because someone before you had extra questions. When this happens, we are faced with the choice of not answering the questions for the sake of staying on schedule (and thereby rushing the patient out), or we can stay an extra few minutes to answer them.

We choose to answer the questions, and hope that people waiting for their appointments will understand. Dentistry would run on time if it were an assembly line and people had no need for discussion, but dentistry is managing biology – and unfortunately biology does not run on a clock.

Fees and Payments

How do your fees compare to the ODA Fee guide?

In general, our fees are similar or slightly higher than the current year’s Suggested Fee Guide as set out by the Ontario Dental Association. However, there are several procedures where we differ significantly in order to reflect the extra time we put in to the treatment in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for you. For those procedures where there is no suggested fee, we feel that our fees are more than reasonable.

We will accept payment by cash, Interac/debit, credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), or personal cheque.

In general, payment is due immediately after the service is rendered. However, larger treatment plans or lengthier treatments (such as orthodontics) are spread out over the course of treatment. Please see below for financial arrangements.

Please note that we operate on a non-assignment basis, which means that with the exception of certain social services programmes, we collect payment from you directly. If you have dental insurance benefits, you will be reimbursed directly from your insurance provider.

Accounts left unpaid for over 30 days will be subject to further collection efforts. Accounts with cheques returned due to insufficient funds (NSF cheques) will be subject to an additional $25 charge.

As you will probably have read on this site, your dental insurance coverage has no knowledge of your dental needs. Determining treatment based on insurance coverage is a poor decision. We don’t do it when making recommendations for you, nor should you do it for yourself. If a recommended procedure is covered by your insurance plan, great! If not, the urgency of the procedure is the same. A better way to think about it is to compare it to service on your vehicle – if you need the service, and someone offers to pay for a portion of it, you would be more than happy.

As mentioned above, please note that we operate on a non-assignment basis, which means that with the exception of certain social services programmes, we collect payment from you directly. If you have dental insurance benefits, you will then be reimbursed directly from your insurance provider. In most cases, we can submit the claim for you electronically.

You are responsible for knowing the extent of your coverage, including yearly maximums. The reason is that we are not privy to that information; it is an agreement between you (or your employer) and the insurance company. We are not involved in that relationship. Any fees for treatment not covered by insurance remain the responsibility of the patient.

If you are unsure about the extent of your coverage, the best way to know is to ask! We’ve read some dental benefits pamphlets that are extremely vague; we do not regard these as helpful. Instead, we can find out about your coverage by helping you submit an estimate (also known as a predetermination). You will receive a reply that pertains to the exact treatment proposed. Insurance companies are not in business to lose money, so we may at times need to submit further letters if they decline the first time.

Another great way to find out about the details of your dental benefits coverage is to access your own account online! Please contact your insurance company directly for this. You will find out your yearly maximums, the claims that have been put through already, and amount of remaining coverage as well! This is an extremely handy tool that will answer many of the questions that we cannot.

A final word, because we can’t stress it enough –it’s your body, and you need to be sure that you are doing the best possible to maintain long-term health (regardless of insurance).

Please let us know if you have financial concerns regarding your proposed treatment –we may be able to make arrangements. These arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to automatically offer discounts due to lack of insurance coverage.

A seldom-discussed option is patient financing! There are several companies that will provide financing for any dental treatment. Here are some Canadian options:

www.dentalcard.ca

www.creditmedical.com

These options will not require a detailed explanation of treatment needed nor a justification for it, and enrollment is easy. The repayment terms and rates will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Treatments

Which services do you offer?

We are a general Barrie dental office, and the list of procedures that we offer tends to evolve over time. Most routine procedures are performed in-office, including preventive (exams & cleaning, sealants, biofilm DNA), restorative (bridges, crowns & onlays, dentures, fillings, implants, root canals), smile makeover (invisalign, microabrasion, veneers, whitening), bite & jaw joint managent, help with airway issues, and emergency services. Sedation options are also available, and are great for those with mild to moderate anxiety or gagging problems.

For best results, please maintain good oral hygiene and visit us routinely for examinations – we will often spot problems before they become painful. 

For questions related to each individual treatment, please visit the treatment pages to see our FAQs listed for each corresponding page.

Certainly! Just ask us! If we know of a particular dentist that we can recommend, we will be happy to do so as well as transfer your records. You may be surprised at how far our personal dental networks reach.

Canada

Ontario
British Columbia

United States:

California:
New York
Massachusetts:
North Carolina:

Worldwide:

Denmark:
France:

Corsica: Dr. Francois Le Bigot 04.95.21.08.94 www.francoislebigot.com

If dental pain does develop, or you have complications following a procedure such as infection, bleeding, or persistent pain, please contact us as soon as possible. We will see you as soon as the emergency warrants. If you develop an emergency outside of normal business hours, please leave a message at 705.733.0880 or elstonwongdds@gmail.com, and Dr. Wong will contact you as soon as possible.

Some procedures are beyond our scope of practice, and are then best handled by specialists. When this occurs, we are still involved in your care. It is a quarterback-like arrangement – we make the appropriate referrals, but still retain overall supervision of your dental needs.

Here is a list of links that can provide more general dental information.

Canadian Dental Association

The Canadian Dental Association is the Federal Voice of organized dentistry in Canada. You will find many articles of dental relevance, including proper home hygiene and care as well as on specific procedures.

Visit Canadian Dental Association

Ontario Dental Association

The Ontario Dental Association has a very patient-friendly site loaded with good information as well. These will answer your questions about dental procedures, but also give you a better sense that dentistry is not just a “mouth” issue, it is a whole-body issue. The links between oral and overall health are becoming more and more appreciated.

Visit Ontario Dental Association

American Dental Association

Similarly, the American Dental Association has a very comprehensive site to further your dental knowledge. Dentistry changes all the time, and the ADA Journal is an excellent resource for dentists wishing to keep up with current thinking.

Visit American Dental Association

Academy of General Dentistry

The Academy of General Dentistry is a North American organization for general dentists with a focus on continuing education. There is also an extensive list of articles covering dental issues on their site in addition to an AGD-member dentist finder.

Visit Know Your Teeth

Visit Academy of General Dentistry