Financial Information

We are committed to providing high-quality dental care to all patients, regardless of whether you have dental insurance. To that end, we work by your side to discuss any insurance benefits and put together a treatment plan that fits your needs. We believe you should know all your options, and we will review estimated treatment costs before starting any treatment so you can make an educated decision about your dental care. Payment for services is expected at the time of treatment unless a different arrangement has been made between you and our office

We accept and file most dental insurance as a complimentary service for our patients. We are an out-of-network provider with all dental insurance. If you have any questions about this, please give us a call at 336-228-8159 so we can answer any questions. Please note, we are not credentialled with Medicaid; therefore, we cannot accept Medicaid.

Dental insurance is a contract between you and your insurance company. A dental office is not part of that contract. We are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment.

Dental Insurance Facts:

Fact 1 – No Insurance Pays 100% of All Procedures

Patients often think their insurance pays 90%-100% of all dental fees. This is not true. Most plans only pay between 50%-80% of the average total fee. Some pay more, some pay less.

The percentage paid is determined by the plan selected by you and/or your employer.

Fact 2 – Benefits Are Not Determined by Our Office

Most of the time, your dental insurer reimburses you or the dentist at a lower rate than the dentist’s actual fee. Frequently, insurance companies state that the reimbursement was reduced because your dentist’s fee exceeds the usual, customary, or reasonable fee (“UCR”) used by the company.

A statement such as this gives the impression that any fee greater than the amount paid by the insurance company is unreasonable or well above what most dentists in the area charge for a certain service. This is very misleading and inaccurate. Each insurance company sets their own fee schedule, and each company uses a different set of fees they consider “reasonable.”

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is my insurance maximum so low?

Maximums limit what an insurance carrier covers each year. Even though costs have steadily increased over the last 70+ years, annual maximum levels for dental care have changed very little since the 1960s!! This is why we often tell patients their dental “insurance” is really a dental “benefit” as it truly does not function like insurance.

Why do some plans require me to select a dentist from a list?

The dentists on the list have agreed to a contracted fee schedule with the benefit plan for a much lower rate of reimbursement. These contracts have restrictions and requirements. Being an out-of-network provider allows us to provide ideal treatment that is not dictated by an insurance company trying to deny needed services or prevent ideal treatment.

In-network dentists are often pressured to use lower cost and lower quality materials to save money which can cause more frequent replacements or additional treatment down the line, increasing your overall costs. Additionally, some in-network offices try to charge exorbitant fees for non-covered services to recoup the write-offs they are contractually obligated to provide, which ultimately costs the patient MORE money than if they received treatment from an ethical, out-of-network dentist.

In-network dentists are often under pressure to see a high volume of patients which can result in rushed treatment that does not allow for patient comfort and does not allow for ideal treatment conditions in performing technique sensitive procedures. This again often leads to increases in failure rates.

While the initial costs of seeing an in-network dentist may seem lower, the hidden expenses, lower quality materials, rushed appointments and potential need for additional treatments can make seeing an in-network dentist more costly in the long run. It is important to consider the overall value and quality of care rather than just the immediate, out-of-pocket expenses when choosing a dentist.

At Alamance Family Dentistry, Dr. Dornblazer only uses the highest quality materials she would want to be used on herself or her family members. Dr. Dornblazer practices ethical, conservative dentistry and is committed to providing a relaxed treatment environment to ensure patient comfort.

Currently, we're servicing the greater Burlington area, including Burlington, Elon, McLeansville, Whitsett, Graham, Gibsonville, and Mebane. If you have any other questions about your financing options, contact us to speak with one of our skilled team members. We'll be happy to help you with any questions you may have on this subject. We're here to help!