Patient Information

Dr. Senft has received extensive training beyond that of average general dentists in order to provide services that many general dentists refer out to specialists. In addition to typical general dentistry procedures, Dr. Senft performs extractions, bone grafting, implants, root canals, orthodontics, and full mouth rehabilitations, all from the comfort of one dental office. Dr. Senft believes that the time and expense that he can save his patients is well worth the investment that he has made and continues to make in his training and education.

We accept most dental PPO plans. Plans obtained through Covered California and HMO plans are not accepted at our office.

Your first visit will typically be a new patient comprehensive exam. You will be greeted by our friendly team and will be given a tour of our state-of-the-art office. Then, appropriate photographs and x-rays will be taken, and Dr. Senft will perform an examination of your gums, teeth, muscles, and joints. At your request, Dr. Senft can also provide his thoughts on the appearance of your teeth. He will explain all of his findings, your options, and his recommendations. We value being thorough, so if more time is indicated, Dr. Senft will ask you to return for a complimentary second visit. Depending on the condition of your oral health, we may be able to offer professional hygiene care (a “cleaning”) at this first visit. More commonly, we will schedule your professional hygiene care for a subsequent visit. If you are coming to see us for a dental emergency, we will always address that first.

We offer several payment options for our patients. We gladly accept cash, personal checks, and credit cards. Most dental PPO plans are accepted, and we will take care of the paperwork as a courtesy. We also offer patient financing through CareCredit if you qualify. Come in for an appointment, and one of our experienced team members will happily go over your individual insurance benefits and payment options with you.

Dental insurance is not really insurance in the true sense of the word. True insurance covers your health, your house, your car, etc. in the event of a catastrophic event. There is no dental insurance plan that works that way. Dental insurance is really just a pre-paid benefits plan. You (or your employer) pays some money each month to the insurance company, and the insurance company provides a fixed amount of coverage in return. The average annual dental insurance coverage is $1,500, the same amount that it was in the 1960s when dental insurance was created. As you would expect, $1,500 covered a lot more dentistry in the 1960s than it does today. If a dental procedure is not covered by your particular dental insurance plan, it does not mean that the procedure is not necessary or that there will not be consequences to your health if the dental problem is ignored. Rest assured that we will always recommend what is in the best interest of your health and will do our best to educate you on the coverage offered by your particular insurance plan.

Part of our mission is to be on time for our patients and to be efficient in all ways. It is our hope that our patients will be equally respectful. Kindly provide at least two business days’ notice for any appointment that needs to be rescheduled. Our business hours are Monday through Thursday, 8AM to 5PM. If, for example, you have an appointment on Monday morning and need to reschedule, we expect you to notify us by the Wednesday morning prior, and we will be happy to assist you in rescheduling. Appointments cancelled with less notice may be subject to a cancellation charge.

X-rays are an essential part of both your initial examination and your regular checkups at our office. There are many oral diseases that we simply can not identify without the use of x-rays. We will typically take a few x-rays each year. The determination will be based on a variety of individual factors. There are state regulations that require us to take x-rays, and we are therefore unable to see patients who repeatedly refuse them.