Financial Policy

Endodontic therapy or root canal therapy, is a highly successful and useful component of dental treatment.  The vast majority of teeth heal with routine endodontic procedures.  At times, surgical intervention will be needed and completed with no more discomfort than any other routine dental procedure.  Most teeth requiring endodontic treatment will have procedures that are completed in one or two appointments. After the endodontic procedure, it is your responsibility to make an appointment with your dentist for the proper final restoration which will protect the structure of the tooth following completion of the endodontic procedure.  We encourage you to take advantage of our recall system after your endodontic therapy is complete, so that we may follow the healing of your tooth over time. 

We file paperwork for all dental insurance carriers.  We do not participate in many of the dental networks available. Please contact our office to inquire about participating providers.  We will be happy to assist you in determining the differences in cost between a participating and non-participating dental specialist.  In our experience of filing dental insurance for our patients, we have noticed that  the “out of pocket” cost differential to our patients who require specialist endodontic treatment is very similar to the out of pocket treatment costs of a “participating” practitioner.

Patient Billing

For your convenience we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Care Credit. We deliver the finest care at the most reasonable cost to our patients, therefore payment is due at the time service is rendered unless other arrangements have been made in advance. If you have questions regarding your account, please contact us at Elgin Office Phone Number 847-742-9150. Many times, a simple telephone call will clear any misunderstandings.

Please contact our office for a current fee schedule.

Please remember you are fully responsible for all fees charged by this office regardless of your insurance coverage.

We will send you a monthly statement. Most insurance companies will respond within four to six weeks. Please call our office if your statement does not reflect your insurance payment within that time frame. Any remaining balance after your insurance has paid is your responsibility. Your prompt remittance is appreciated. We can make arrangements for a monthly payment plan that is most easily accomplished if arranged prior to the actual treatment procedure.

Payment Policy for patients who do not have dental insurance:

Follow-up evaluations and recall appointments are included in the fee established for the original treatment unless otherwise indicated at the time of treatment.  We request that the fee be paid at the time therapy is performed.  The cost of the final restoration by your dentist is not included in our fee. Some teeth will require a full coverage restoration, such as a crown (cap), as the final restoration.

Payment Policy for patients who do have dental insurance:

Our agreement is with you and not the insurance company.  It is your responsibility to understand your coverage, deductible amounts, limits of payment, etc.  Please be aware that some companies pay a fixed allowance for certain procedures and others pay a percentage of the charge. We require that you pay your deposit/co-pay which is approx. 30% of the fee at the time of of your appointment.  Most insurance companies will forward their portion of the payment to our office.  If your insurance company will not forward their payment to us (i.e. Delta Dental), the full fee balance will be due at the time of the appointment or upon notification that payment has been made to you.  If the amount of the payment has been established through a pre-estimate, you will be required to pay the amount of the uncovered balance at the time of the appointment.  If we have not received payment from your insurance company within 30 days from the completion of the procedure, you will be billed and any remaining balance will be due at that time.

We are always happy to assist you in working with your insurance company, however, excessive paperwork may result in an extra charge.  Most people with 1 or even 2 insurance companies do not require extra paperwork.  We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Care Credit for your convenience. Prompt payment is appreciated.  There will be a bank fee of $40.00 for any returned checks.  A 1.5% finance charge applied to all unpaid balances 30 days after the resolution of all insurance claims.  Refunds from overpayment of co-payment amounts from our office are processed upon the receipt of insurance payment and are typically mailed within 10 business days.  If you have any further questions regarding these policies, please feel free to ask.