Appointments, Fees & AGP
Appointment Protocols
The first appointment is usually reserved for a comprehensive examination and x-rays, unless you have an emergency condition or specific problem. We will discuss with you our findings with the use of the intraoral camera, why we have made the recommendation, as well as a proposed treatment plan and cost estimate.
After the treatment is completed, you will be given a recall (cleaning) appointment for usually 6 months time (sometimes sooner). Our staff will call to remind you of your appointment within two weeks before it is due. These recall appointments will permit us to maintain your good state of dental health and find developing problems early before they require a great deal of time and expense.
We Can See You Today!
We see a large number of emergencies every week. We block our schedule on a regular basis to save room for emergencies. We can squeeze someone in if they are having a problem. We will always do our best to help out someone in pain, or with any urgent issue.
If you are experiencing an emergency dental situation call us at 902-445-9255 to have us fit you in today!
Lateness
We try hard to stick to our patient schedule so that you are not kept waiting. Sometimes situations during treatment occur that are beyond our control, and we fall behind. We ask for your patience and understanding in these cases.
If you arrive late for your appointment, we will perform what treatment we can with the time remaining, then schedule another appointment to complete treatment so as not to keep our other patients waiting. If you are very late, you will need to reschedule your appointment in all fairness to others.
Missed Appointments
If you miss your appointment, our staff will attempt to contact you immediately to reschedule. There is a $75. charge for missed appointments when two-business days notice is not given.
Aerosol Generating Procedures Fee (AGP)
The AGP (Aerosol Generating Procedure codes) are standard dental codes that were developed post-COVID closures, by the National and Provincial Dental Associations, in collaboration with the Canadian Insurance Association and Dr. Robert Strang. They are for use by all dental clinics nationally and were specifically developed to help cover a fraction of the costs for the additional PPE used by clinic staff post-COVID, for the protection of our patients and staff alike.
Initially, we did not see these codes covered by dental insurance, although now many are covering them. This is an issue with the insurance companies, as the clinics were told all insurance companies would be covering these fees. The additional PPE provides extra protection from the spread of COVID, due to aerosol droplets produced during dental procedures. As these tools were never a normal part of our job, the dental and insurance associations decided to create codes for them. The cost of our normal gear, in some instances, has gone up 2000 percent. For example, an N95 mask that used to cost $1.00, is now $20.00 and a box of 50 gloves that used to cost $23.00, is now $77.00. We wear a new mask for each patient, along with a new isolation gown, face shield, eye protection, hair protection, etc.
These codes are now a normal part of the billing process for all dental procedures and involve either a $10 charge (non-aerosol generating procedure) or a $20 charge (aerosol-generating procedure). They are meant to slightly offset the cost of the PPE and not cover it entirely. We suggest you contact your dental insurance providers and encourage them to cover the codes.
Dental fees for all clinics will be increasing, whether hidden or not, as we know many other clinics that have already done so. We have chosen to charge the AGP fees and not increase our fees overall for dental procedures.