Questions Broken Arrow Patients Ask
Hours, insurance, costs, emergencies, sedation and children. Direct answers, with a phone number where one is genuinely the better route.
Booking, Hours and Costs
Are you accepting new patients?
Yes, of every age. Call (918) 355-1391 or send the contact form and the front desk will find a time and check your insurance before you arrive. Bring your insurance card, photo ID, and a list of any medicines you take including vitamins and supplements.
What are your office hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. We are closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The slot straight after the lunch closure is often the easiest to get at short notice.
Where exactly are you?
At 2522 E Kenosha St in Broken Arrow, OK 74014, in the Tiger Plaza building on the east side of town. E Kenosha Street is OK-51B. Parking is at ground level off Kenosha, with no garage and no long walk.
What insurance do you accept?
More than twenty plans, including Aetna, Aflac, Ameritas, Best Life, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Careington, Cigna, Delta Dental, Dentaquest, GEHA, Guardian, HealthChoice, Humana, MetLife, Mutual of Omaha, Physicians Mutual, Principal, Sunlife, United Concordia, United Healthcare and Unum. United Concordia includes Tricare and Active Duty plans, and veteran patients are welcome by VA referral. Acceptance depends on your individual policy, so call with your card and we will check.
What if I do not have insurance?
Plenty of our patients do not. You still get the cost of treatment before the work starts, and a larger plan can be staged across several appointments so the urgent work happens first. Ask the front desk about financing options.
How much will my treatment cost?
You get the number before treatment, not after. We check your insurance first, then tell you what the plan covers and what is left for you to pay. We will not quote a price over the phone for a tooth nobody has examined, because that would be a guess.
Emergencies, Sedation and Checkups
Can I be seen the same day for an emergency?
Usually. Two dentists work here, so there is generally room to fit an emergency into the day. Call (918) 355-1391 as early as you can and describe what happened. For facial swelling with fever, difficulty swallowing or difficulty breathing, go to an emergency room rather than waiting for a dental appointment.
What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?
Act within the hour. Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk, not water, and do not scrub it. Put it back in the socket if you can, or keep it in milk, and get here fast. A knocked-out baby tooth should not be put back, because that can damage the adult tooth forming above it.
Do you offer sedation?
Yes. Nitrous oxide, which most people call laughing gas, wears off within minutes so you can drive yourself home. Oral sedation goes deeper and most patients remember little of the appointment, but it lasts hours and you will need someone to drive you. Tell the front desk when you book, because it changes how the visit is scheduled.
I have not been to a dentist in years. What happens?
The same exam as anybody else, and nobody will lecture you about the gap. What comes out of it is a list in order of urgency: what is a problem now, what will be soon, and what can wait. That can be worked through over months if that suits you better.
How often should I have a checkup?
Every six months suits most people. If you have gum disease, get cavities easily, smoke, or have a condition such as diabetes that affects the gums, three or four months is often better. We will tell you which applies to you.
Do I need X-rays at every visit?
No. X-rays are taken based on your own risk rather than a fixed timetable. Someone with no recent decay needs them far less often than someone with several new cavities. We use digital X-rays, which need a much lower dose than older film systems.
Children, Gums and Coming From Out of Town
At what age should my child first see a dentist?
Around their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Very little happens clinically at that age. The point is that the child learns the dental office is an ordinary place before they ever need anything done there.
Why do my gums bleed when I brush?
Bleeding gums almost always mean inflammation from plaque along the gum line, not that you are brushing too hard. The instinct is to clean that area less, which makes it worse. In the early stage it usually clears within a couple of weeks of proper daily cleaning between the teeth. If it carries on, have it looked at.
Does teeth whitening work on crowns and fillings?
No. Whitening only lightens natural enamel. Crowns, veneers, bridges and tooth-coloured fillings keep the shade they were made in. If you have visible restorations on your front teeth, whiten first and then have those remade to match.
Do you see the whole family in one visit?
Yes, and for patients travelling in from Bixby, Jenks, Coweta or Owasso it is usually the sensible way to do it. Tell the front desk how many people and roughly when suits, and they will group the appointments.
Which areas do you serve?
Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, Coweta and Owasso, all from the one office on E Kenosha Street. Coweta is one of the shortest drives, because OK-51 runs west out of Coweta and becomes E Kenosha Street.
How long does a first appointment take?
Allow about an hour. That covers the conversation about what brought you in, a full-mouth series of digital X-rays, a complete exam of the teeth, gums, mouth and jaw including an oral cancer screening, and going through the findings and the costs with you. If there is time and nothing needs dealing with first, the cleaning usually happens the same day.
Why do you close for an hour at lunch?
The whole office closes from noon to 1:00 p.m., so there is no cover during that hour. It is worth knowing when you book, particularly if you are driving in from Bixby, Jenks, Coweta or Owasso. The appointment straight after the closure, at 1:00 p.m., is often the easiest one to get at short notice.
Do you treat patients who grind their teeth?
Yes, and it is more common than most people realise. Grinding wears teeth down, cracks them, and is the most frequent reason crowns and veneers fail early. A night guard is one of the cheapest things in dentistry and protects everything else you have had done. Ask at your next checkup if you wake with a sore jaw or headaches.
Can I bring my child to my own appointment?
Yes. It is also one of the better ways to introduce a small child to the practice, because they get to see the room and the chair with nothing happening to them. If you would rather they were seen too, say so when you book and we will put the appointments together.
Do you take walk-ins?
Call first rather than arriving unannounced, even in an emergency. A two-minute call means the front desk knows you are coming, can tell you what to do on the way, and can have a room ready.
Still Have a Question?
Call the front desk. They would rather answer it than have you guess.