FAQ

General Information

Are you accepting new patients?

Yes, we love new patients! Our office welcomes walk-ins, but we encourage pre-arranged appointments to ensure optimal timeliness and attention. Contact our office at (970) 667-1236 to schedule. To save time during your first visit, complete our new patient forms before you arrive.

No Insurance, No problem!

It is estimated that approximately 40% of Americans are without dental insurance. If you are uninsured, please know that you are not alone! Many people come to us and assume dental treatment is out of reach for them without some form of insurance. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

For uninsured patients, we offer a dental wellness plan that can provide considerable savings for you and your family. Membership in our wellness plan requires an annual fee for each member of your family. The membership fee pays for all preventative care for the next 12 months: exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, any necessary x-rays, intraoral photos, and oral cancer screenings (if you happen to be a periodontal patient, there are options available for you, too!). Membership also provides a discount on additional treatments needed during your 12-month membership period such as crowns, fillings, extractions, etc.

If you would like more information about this plan, please give us a call and we can give you the details!

Do you take my insurance?

We currently accept all (non-restrictive) PPO dental insurance plans. We are happy to help submit any insurance claims to help you recover the most from your benefits. We understand that maximizing your insurance benefit can be important and if a pre-authorization would be helpful to you, just ask!

How do I pay for my visit?

We accept cash, personal checks, and major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.

Please ask about our senior and military/veteran discounts. We also offer affordable, interest-free payment plans through CareCredit.

What are your hours?

Our Loveland CO dentists are in the office Monday – Thursday 8am-5pm.  If you have an emergency after hours and are a patient of record, call us at (970) 667-1236 and our answering service will work with you to find a solution.

I haven't been to the dentist in years - where do I start?

Pick up the phone and call! We’ll be happy to set you up with a comprehensive exam, or answer any individual questions you may have.

If this is your first visit with us, a comprehensive evaluation of your oral health will be completed. When you arrive, we’ll review your new patient paperwork and discuss your current dental concerns. We will take any necessary radiographs, photographs, or diagnostic casts to thoroughly evaluate your oral health. Our dentist will check your teeth for cavities, evaluate the integrity of existing dental work, examine your gums, check your bite alignment, and perform an oral cancer screening. You will then be given a treatment plan with different options so you can make an informed and educated decision regarding your dental care. This will allow you to select the best treatments for your individual goals.

At what age should my child have their first dental visit?

We advise bringing in your child between the age of one and two for their first visit. At this visit, we will not only check the health of your child’s mouth, but offer several tips to parents to help keep your child healthy and smiling!

Call for details on our Kids Club and how you can get a free first visit for your toddler.

Extractions & Oral Surgery

When and what can I eat?

When the numbness has worn off, you should be able to eat. When you eat for the first time following extraction, start with soft foods like yogurt, soups, ice cream, and soft-cooked eggs. Try to avoid spicy, hard, crunchy foods like tortilla chips.

No hot drinks while numb; you won’t be able to gauge how hot it is and you might burn yourself. There’s no problem with cold drinks, as long as you are not using a straw.

Why can't I rinse, spit, or drink through a straw?
We ask you not to rinse, spit, or drink through a straw because this can cause more bleeding than is necessary, and can dislodge the blood clot (necessary for healing) which has formed. If you lose the blood clot in your extraction site, you may experience “dry socket” which can be a very painful, and often times avoidable, complication. If you think you may have a dry socket, please call the office for additional treatment.
How long will I be numb?
It depends on how much and what type of anesthesia that was given for the procedure, and can vary greatly from one person to the next. For some people, the numbness starts to wear off right away, and others can take hours. A good rule of thumb is about two to three hours.
I'm home now, but still bleeding. Now what?
It’s normal to experience bleeding after an extraction or oral surgery. Saliva mixing with blood can give the impression of “a lot of blood”. Unless your mouth is quickly filling up with a profound amount of blood, what you’re experiencing is most likely normal. Place a slightly moistened gauze pad (provided to you after your surgery) on the wound and place firm pressure on the area for approximately 10 minutes. Keep biting on the gauze for another half hour.

If, after doing this, you are still experiencing some bleeding, bite on a moistened tea bag. Yes, this really works! The science behind this old adage is solid; the tannic acid in the tea bag helps your body form the blood clot you need by constricting bleeding. If, after you have followed all of these instructions, you still have concerns about bleeding, call the office for instructions.

Why is my jaw sore?
Your jaw could be sore from remaining open, and injections can frequently cause a lingering soreness; the removal of teeth can also cause soreness. Remember, you’ve just had a surgery. The healing process takes time, and other factors like age and health will determine how sore you will be.

Use a cold pack on the area, and take an over the counter anti-inflammatory; we like to recommend Ibuprofen (generic is fine, but you can use Advil or Motrin if you prefer name brands). Most ibuprofen is sold in 200 mg pills or capsules. Take two to four pills every four to six hours for as long as you are experiencing discomfort. Be sure not to exceed 3200mg per day!

My face/jaw is swelling. Is that normal?
Slight swelling is normal after dental surgery. Applying cold to the area (such as a plastic bag, filled with ice and wrapped in a towel) will minimize swelling. You can also try placing a warm compress on the area after the swelling subsides. Rinsing with warm salt water will also help cleanse the wound and reduce swelling.

OTHER RESTORATIONS

POST RESTORATION INFORMATION (Fillings, INLAYS, ETC)

It is recommended to wait until the numbness completely wears off before you eat and drink. However, if you must eat for any reason, be careful not to bite your numb lip, cheek, or tongue.

Sensitivity to hot, cold, and chewing harder, crunchier foods is not uncommon after a restoration has been placed if the decay was close to the nerve in the center of the tooth. If the tooth is healing, sensitivity typically lasts for a short time after the cold is introduced and does not linger. Sensitivity will gradually decrease as the tooth develops a healed, protective layer. It is not uncommon for this minor sensitivity to last up to two weeks, sometimes longer. However, if sensitivity is getting worse within the two weeks, or if the sensitivity lingers, please call Ross Family Dentistry for an evaluation of the nerve health.

Pain might be experienced due to muscle tightness or tenderness following procedures that require your mouth to remain open for some time or at the site of injection. Anti-inflammatory pain medications such as ibuprofen will help alleviate symptoms.

If the filling feels ‘high’ and doesn’t allow the other teeth to close together or you are having pain while chewing, please contact us within a few days of your appointment for a slight adjustment of the biting surface of the filling. It can be difficult to feel that your bite is correct while being numb.
Any new restoration will make a change, however small, in the way the teeth fit together. The tongue and cheeks will notice a change and magnify the small difference, but in a few days, you will become accustomed and adapt to the restoration.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Ross Family Dentistry at 970-667-1236.

Temporary Crowns

Home Care for Your Temporary Crown

  • Avoid eating anything for approximately an hour after the temporary has been placed to allow for the bonding agent to set and the anesthetic to wear off.
  • Avoid eating sticky foods, chewing gum, crunchy foods, or anything that involves hard chewing, or use the other side of your mouth to chew.
  • Use caution when brushing. When flossing, floss through the contact toward the gumline, then slide the floss out to the side. Do not snap the floss up through contact point as this can “pop off” the temporary.
  • Some cold sensitivity can be normal as long as it doesn’t linger for more than a few minutes. Since the temporary is plastic, it isn’t as insulated as the permanent crown will be.
  • Sometimes the gum tissue may be a little sore after the preparation procedure. If gums are irritated, rinse with warm salt water a few times over the next couple of days to help speed up the healing process. (1 cup warm water, ½ teaspoon salt and gentle swish.)

Temporary falls off.
Sometimes temporaries fall off. Usually this is due to lack of cement or the cement washing out from under the crown. Without a temporary on the tooth, the tooth can become sensitive and the gum tissue can become irritated and hinder the final crown cementation. If your temporary falls off and you can reorient it to fit back on the tooth, you can put a small dab of Vaseline, toothpaste, or Fixodent into the crown and ‘reseat’ the temporary until you are able to contact Ross Family Dentistry. If you are unable to fit the temporary back onto the tooth, please contact Ross Family Dentistry immediately and we will give you specific instructions on how to care for your tooth and crown until you can be seen for an evaluation.

Chipped temporary.
Temporaries are made of a plastic material that can chip. If the chip is small, sometimes you can continue to wear the same temporary until your final crown is back from the lab. If the chipping is extensive, or if it breaks in multiple pieces, the temporary will need to be remade. Please contact Ross Family Dentistry at 970-667-1236 if any chipping/breaking has occurred.

Give Us a Call

(970) 667-1236

Office Hours
Monday-Thursday
8am-5pm

Let’s be Friends

Centrally Located:        Minutes from Hwy 287 & I25

We look forward to seeing you soon!