If you have dental insurance, or if your dental insurance changes at any time, please notify us when checking in for your appointment. We can then verify your dental coverage information for you and submit claims on your behalf. If we are provided accurate information and able to verify your coverage, we can bill your insurance for their estimated portion, and you would then only be responsible for your estimated co-pay at each appointment. If it is your preference to pay off your balance at the time of your appointment and have your insurance reimburse you directly, we can do that as well.
We will always do our best to keep up-to-date information and help you maximize your dental insurance benefits, but please do not hesitate to ask questions at any time and help remind us if you’ve recently received treatment at a specialist’s office in town.
Insurance
Nelson dentistry also accepts most dental insurances. Our Missoula staff is always happy to verify your insurance ourselves and submit claims on your behalf so that you can avoid a headache. We can also bill your insurance their estimated portion of treatment costs before we do treatment, so you only have to pay your co-pay upfront.
At Nelson Dentistry, we don't want patients to forego necessary oral health treatments due to financial concerns. Without regular preventive procedures, it is easy for patients to pick up tooth decay, infection, and more. Through routine visits with Dr. Jonathan Nelson, we can keep your teeth and gums strong and healthy. Give us a call today to discuss payment options available to you.
It depends. But typically right away if you'd like. Let's break down the details though:
- Routine Cleaning: You're in the clear to eat right away. However, if you needed fluoride varnish, then stay away from hot liquids for the next half hour (sorry coffee drinkers!).
- Gum Therapy: You might have needed to get numb for this, be really careful to not bite your lip, cheeks, or tongue!
- Tooth-Colored Composite Filling: We use a special "flashlight" to cure the composite as hard as it's going to get, so you're safe to use it like regular.
- Silver-Colored Amalgam Filling: These take time to harden completely. When you leave they are pretty hard, but you should still "baby" them with soft foods for the next 24 hours.
- Temporary Crowns: These are... well... temporary. So they're not meant to be as rugged as the permanent crown. This means that they come off easier (which is good for when we want to replace them with the permanent) and they're not as strong. So extra care must be given to avoid sticky and hard foods.
- Permanent Crowns: These are tough and pretty, the only thing to remember is that the cement usually needs some time to completely set. Avoid sticky foods for the rest of the day.
Dental Services in Missoula MT
Give our team a call today to get to know our friendly dental team, and book a cleaning, exam, or consultation! We are currently accepting new patients.
At this time I am unable to open the office on the weekends. HOWEVER, I know how tough it can be finding the time around work, school, and the kids. So I have extended our business hours to allow hard-working patients to be seen before or after work. I even offset our lunch break to help patients have the option to be seen during their lunchtime! And while most dental offices are closed on Fridays, we're open. So odds are we have something that can work for you.
Flexible Dentist in Missoula
And if you're at work now, multitasking and don't have time for a phone call, click on our widget in the lower right to "chat" (if we're in the office) or leave a message. You can also send us an email through our "Contact" page. We're pretty good at responding quickly. And of course, our phone number is at the top of this page!
Temporomandibular joint disorder, also called TMJ or TMD, describes a group of conditions that affect the muscles in your jaw. Temporomandibular joints are located on each side of your mouth and connect the lower jaw to the skull. These joints allow you to move your jaw up and down and side to side. When they become inflamed facial pain and difficulty moving your jaw can occur. Other symptoms you may experience are a locking or popping jaw, soreness in your head or shoulders, frequent headaches, or excessive wearing on your teeth.
TMJ Treatment in Missoula
If you are experiencing symptoms of TMD, it is unlikely that symptoms will go away without some sort of treatment. We encourage you to schedule an evaluation to discuss your options. There isn’t just one solution for everyone. Options for treatment can include the creation of a custom nightguard to allow the jaw joint to rest in its most comfortable position during the night, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, muscle relaxers, joint lavage, or joint surgery.
As a general dentist I do not, by default, have a specialty. However, there are some dental procedures
that I have worked extra hard to become very proficient at in addition to routine dental work. I have taken advanced training with world renown instructors in cosmetic dentistry, occlusion (how your teeth bite and function together), and composite (tooth-colored filling material) artistry using advanced layering techniques. My goal is to provide my patients with restorative dental work that appears indistinguishable to natural teeth, to not only the patient but to other dentists. It's actually not too hard to make something that looks white and roughly the same shape as a tooth, but the artistic challenge to recreate natural beauty is very rewarding.
Dental Specialties
As an FYI there are nine recognized specialties by the American Dental Association (ADA):
Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics.
Nearly all of these specialties require additional schooling above and beyond dental school. Some even require a residency. Perhaps the most intensive training is for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery where the specialist goes through dental school, medical school, and also a residency--that's a lot of schooling!