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.

Payment Information

What Payments Methods Do You Accept?

At Bridgeview Dental we accept payment by cash, Interac, Mastercard, Visa, Amex, Discover and Dental Card which is third-party interest-free financing.

Are My Treatments Covered By Insurance?

Many insurance plans cover a portion or all of the treatments offered at Bridgeview Dental. We normally take payment at the time of your appointment however our office will gladly direct bill your insurance company for dental services. We kindly ask that you leave an imprint of your credit card as well as a signed authorization to put any amounts not covered by your insurance on the card:

Payment of the portion not covered by your dental plan is expected on or before the day of treatment.
If we are not able to determine the amount of your dental coverage based on the information provided, full payment of your account is required, or you can sign a waiver to charge your credit card for any amount not paid by your insurance.
If for any reason your insurance has denied your claim:
1. “This service is not a covered expense”
2. “The dependant is not on the plan”
3. “The claim was submitted after the plan was terminated”
4. “We cannot locate the patient with the information provided” or for any other reason, we will bill your credit card, and will forward the appropriate documents to you so that your insurance can reimburse you directly. (if necessary)

What Can I Do If I Have No Insurance Plan Options?

We know that many people do not have a health insurance plan that they can fall back on to help them cover the cost of their treatments. We don’t want this to be a reason why you decide not to continue getting the help you need. We can help you apply for Dental Card financing, where payments can be made over anywhere from 3 months to 6 years.

Check out their website at www.dentalcard.ca

Whatever your situation, we want you to get the care you need. If you are concerned about being able to afford the services offered at Bridgeview Dental please let us know and we can help you make it work. We do not want the cost of dental treatment to get in the way of what you need.

No Financial Surprises

At Bridgeview Dental, before we start a procedure, we’ll give you a cost estimate so you know approximately what the treatment fees will be. If you like, once we have a treatment plan, and the cost, we can check with your insurance company to see what is covered. This way, we can collect from your insurance company immediately if we have all the information we need.

Sometimes if this information isn’t readily available, you’ll have the choice of either delaying treatment until we have 100% of the information, or begin treatment right away on a pay-as-you-go basis. We’ll also accept a credit card imprint for any amount not covered by your dental policy.

In order to make this decision easier, our Treatment Coordinator Carrie will be happy to take the time to go over your insurance coverage and give you a better idea of what your best payment approach might be.

For your convenience, we accept payment from Visa, Mastercard, Interac, Discover and Amex. Dental Card, which is our third-party financing, is available for all treatment situations in order to make them affordable.