How can we help you?
At Northside Dental, each team member lives up to the highest standards of care in Fort Smith, AR. We aim to provide excellent dental services for each person who visits our dental office. But between appointments, you might have questions that we want to answer without you even picking up the phone.
So in this section, we have answered some common questions that people ask. If you have a question that has yet to be answered here, we encourage you to contact us directly.
Other
Dental insurance can be complicated because so many options exist, so it's challenging to determine precisely how much coverage you'll actually receive. However, an experienced team member will work with you to figure out how your insurance coverage will figure into your treatment plan, and we will do our best to maximize your benefits.
The insurances we accept at Northside Dental are:
Aetna, Ameritas, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas, Cigna, Delta Dental, Delta Dental Premier, Guardian, Humana, MetLife, Principal, Sunlife, and United Healthcare PPO.
Other Payment Methods Available
In addition to standard payment options like checks, bank, and credit cards, we also accept CareCredit. If you qualify, you can use this benefit to pay for the out-of-pocket portion of your treatment costs. This provides for unique financing options to support your health care.
For example, you can take advantage of no interest promotions in several different time frames when you use more than $200, make the minimum monthly payments and pay your total amount due by the end of the promotional period. Another benefit of CareCredit is that you can continue to use it once you've qualified.
We encourage you to contact our dental office if you have any questions or would like to learn more about your payment options at Northside Dental.
Emergency Dental Services
Dr. Aaron Simpson's team wants you to be prepared for the unforeseen in Fort Smith so that when a dental emergency strikes, you can react effectively. The first rule of thumb in an emergency is to avoid panic. Remaining calm helps everyone involved assess the situation. Then, after gathering some information, call our dental office so that we can advise you on your particular circumstances.
Dental Emergency Symptoms
Pain accompanies nearly all dental emergencies and can by itself be an emergency because severe pain interferes with most life activities. Other signs that might indicate a need for urgent care include:
- A pimple-like or other gum sores
- A broken or cracked tooth
- A fractured filling, a dental crown, or other restoration
- An object lodged between your teeth
- Inflammation
Some other symptoms may indicate that you should visit an emergency room first before the dentist. For example, deep cuts or lacerations in your mouth, cheek, or gums should be checked by a medical doctor, and potential fractures or other bone injuries.
Your Emergency Dental Appointment
Dr. Simpson has several goals during your emergency appointment. First, he will work to relieve your pain and stabilize your situation. Then, we will perform a complete assessment that will likely include x-rays and other technology.
If possible, our team will work to resolve your problem with treatment. For example, if you have a compromised tooth, Dr. Simpson could perform root canal therapy and install a CEREC same-day crown in one appointment. Or we can schedule a sooner follow-up appointment to complete your treatment.
Don't hesitate to call our office if you think you may have a dental emergency.
Family Dentistry
One common myth in our modern world is that dental care causes pain. Popular culture reinforces this idea in cartoonish ways, while historical dental appliances look cumbersome and medieval to the 21st-century eye.
But Dr. Aaron Simpson is happy to dispel that myth by pointing out a common denominator with most tooth pain: it probably hurt before your dental visit. In truth, the actual cause of most tooth pain is inflammation, infection, or both due to tooth decay or other progressive conditions and trauma.
Our job here at Northside Dental is to provide a comfortable and secure place for you to receive necessary treatments. In other words, we relieve pain and address what caused that pain in the first place.
Stress-Free Dental Treatments in Fort Smith, AR
If you have a toothache, combining that pain with dental anxiety compounds the nastiness of your experience. Fear reactions like increased heart rate impact swelling and have been proven to inhibit your ability to tolerate discomfort.
Suppose this describes you; above all things, we want you to know that we understand and promise to treat you in the way we want to receive care. We offer nitrous oxide as a safe and easy way to ease you through procedures. Our experience and techniques help complete care quickly and put you back in business, even on the same day.
Call our dental practice to learn more.
Full and Partial Dentures
Though removable dentures are not subject to decay and cavities like natural teeth, they still require regular cleanings. Since modern dentures fit so well, people who use them eat most of the same foods as they did with their natural teeth. But a better diet means more food debris inevitably sticks around and under most dentures.
If you don’t keep them clean with regular brushing and soaking, bacteria can feed on that debris and cause an infection in your gums. Or even worse, you may develop a fungal condition called denture stomatitis, where fungi literally grow in your mouth.
To prevent this, you may follow these simple steps:
- Remove and brush your dentures with a soft-bristled brush and special paste
- Rinse them thoroughly before returning to your mouth
- Soak your dentures in their solution daily
Other Denture Care in Fort Smith, AR
Your complete dentures represent a significant investment, so you always want to keep them safe. Dr. Simpson recommends that you handle them over a folded towel and store them in a glass or specialized container when they're not in your mouth.
Also, be attentive to how your dentures fit. Your mouth will undergo natural changes in shape as you age. This may cause a poor fit, allowing food debris easier access to your soft tissues. Persistently ill-fitting dentures can also rub against your mouth, causing painful abrasions.
Dr. Simpson will ensure proper fit at your regular check-ups, so we recommend scheduling an appointment at least twice a year.
General Dentistry
At Northside Dental, our team's main aim is to create solid relationships with patients so we can earn your trust and advise you on your dental care. Timely treatments are a part of that process, so you can feel assured that we will provide care as quickly as possible.
Your specific treatment time will vary depending on what work we're doing, but a good rule of thumb is that we'll only keep you in the dental chair longer than an hour if absolutely necessary. However, we can complete many routine check-ups and cleanings in well under an hour.
Our Dental Technology Shortens Treatment Times
As part of his goal to serve you better, Dr. Simpson has invested in modern dental technology that has proven results. For example, with diagnostic tools like digital x-rays and an intraoral camera, we cut the time it takes to identify your issues. Then during treatment, Dr. Simpson uses other leading-edge technology like rotary endodontics. This tool makes root canal therapy more effective and efficient.
As part of your overall treatment plan, Dr. Simpson's team can estimate the time each procedure will take and help you deal with any anxiety your dental treatments might cause. Then, with a bit of help, we can finish your treatments without delay.
Tooth Extractions
At Northside Dental, we are on a mission to save teeth. So extracting a tooth is likely something we'll perform as a last resort. However, you have options if you seek timely care when a tooth is in bad shape. If you fill a cavity when it's small, your tooth is protected. But the more extensive the cavity, the more of its structure is lost, which threatens your tooth.
In cases of advanced tooth decay, large cavities, tooth fractures, or other tooth-endangering damage, Dr. Simpson can still save your tooth, possibly with root canal therapy and a dental crown that he builds on the same day. In some cases, a crown alone may save your remaining tooth structure while restoring it in look and function.
If You Do Need a Tooth Pulled
A dental extraction is not the end of the world, but it does have repercussions. For example, one or more missing teeth may impact your smile and ability to eat healthy and enjoyable foods. Therefore, our team offers several tooth-replacement options, which we can cover before your extraction. This way, we can devise a treatment plan that meets your needs.
Dr. Simpson and his team of dental professionals in Fort Smith, AR, are ready to answer questions and concerns about dental extractions. Hopefully, we can save and restore your natural tooth before removing it.