Dental practices are always looking for ways to discern themselves from their competition, and those that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award are already several steps ahead. Lovely Manlapaz Teodoro DDS further supplements its industry advantage by utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge treatment techniques to provide cosmetic dentistry and traditional preventive dental care services for patients of all ages. “Our cosmetic treatments include everything from Invisalign to bleaching,” says General Manager Ted Teodoro. “We also offer flexible appointment scheduling and affordable financing plans, and we accept most forms of private insurance.”

A graduate and former faculty member of National University, Manila Philippines (NU), Dr. Lovely C. Manlapaz is certified to operate CEREC CAD/CAM equipment to provide advanced cosmetic and corrective treatments for same-day crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays. “CAD/CAM is a computer aid system that allows Dr. Manlapaz to use digital impression designs to create in-house crowns,” explains Mr. Teodoro. “There’s no need to use an external lab or schedule multiple appointments, which is very convenient for our patients.”

In an effort to further distinguish her practice as a dental industry leader, Dr. Manlapaz only uses digital X-rays that show highly detailed images of patients’ pre- and post-treatment teeth, allowing her to fully explain the details of each assessment and treatment process. “She also only uses composite filling materials–no amalgam or metals–and provides in-house milled ceramic and porcelain materials for onlays and inlays, which helps preserve more of the original tooth,” says Mr. Teodoro.

Unlike some dental offices that try to fit in as many patients as possible, The Dental Center of Hercules emphasizes the importance of individualized dental care. “We take the necessary time to see each patient, and we never overbook,” says Mr. Teodoro. “We have a very convenient location, plenty of available parking, a kid-friendly office and TV entertainment in each dental room. Our experienced staff is also fluent in Filipino and Spanish.”

Choose a dental plan that offers benefits that are the most relevant to your situation. In general, dental plans can be divided into two categories: managed care and fee-for-service. Managed care dental plans are cost containment systems that direct the utilization of health care by restricting the type, level and frequency of treatment; limiting access to care; and controlling the level of reimbursement for services. Fee-for-service dental plans are typically “freedom of choice” arrangements under which dentists are paid for each service rendered according to the fees they establish.

Managed Care Plans
With Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) programs, patients select a dentist from a network or list of providers who have agreed, by contract, to discount their fees. In PPOs that allow patients to receive treatment from a non-participating dentist, patients with higher deductibles and co-payments are penalized. PPOs can be fully insured or self-insured. They’re usually less expensive than comparable indemnity plans and are regulated under the appropriate insurance statutes in the company’s state of domicile and operation. When reviewing a PPO dental plan, make sure you can answer the following questions:

• What percentage of the premium is used for administration?
• Will the amount of the discount influence patients to change their dentists? Will the amount of the discount affect the number of treatment options for the plan’s covered individuals?
• What’s the liability for the employer if the plan influences provider selection or treatment?
• What are the criteria for selection of providers for the plan? Does it have enough dentists under contract to adequately serve the group? What’s the geographic distribution of patients to dentists? Does it provide for specialist referrals? Are dentists limited to referring patients to contracted specialists?
• How does the program provide for emergency treatment? What provisions are in the program for emergency care away from home?

With Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) plans, patients pay contracted dentists fixed amounts (usually on a monthly basis) per enrolled family or individual, regardless of utilization. In return, the dentists agree to provide specific types of treatment for the patients at no charge (for other treatments, a co-payment is required). Theoretically, the DHMO rewards dentists who keep patients in good health, thereby keeping costs low. DHMO models typically offer the least expensive dental plans. If you’re considering a DHMO plan, make sure you can answer the following questions:

• What’s the utilization rate for patients in this program? What’s the average waiting period for an initial appointment? What’s the average period between appointments?
• What’s the dentist/patient ratio for the program? What are the criteria for selecting dentists to participate in the program? What’s the geographic distribution of patients to dentists?
• What’s the ratio of dentists accepted to the program to those who applied to participate? How many dentists voluntarily withdrew from the program over the past two years?
• What’s the capitated rate of compensation for the dentists? Is it sufficient compensation for the needs of the covered patient population? What provisions are made for dentists with unforeseen utilization or difficult cases?
• What are the benefits for patients requiring a specialist’s care? How are specialists selected and compensated? Does the plan have adequate specialist participation?

Fee-for-Service Plans
Direct Reimbursement (DR) is a self-funded dental benefits plan that reimburses patients according to dollars spent on dental care, not type of treatment received. It allows the patient complete freedom to choose any dentist. Instead of paying monthly insurance premiums, employers pay a percentage of actual treatments received, even for employees who don’t use the dentist. Moreover, employers are removed from the potential responsibility of influencing treatment decisions due to plan selection or sponsorship.

Q: Do you offer any payment plans?

A: Yes. We offer programs with up to six months of deferred payments.

Q: Do you offer any fee discounts?

A: Yes. Ask about fee discounts when you call for an appointment.

Q: What’s CEREC?

A: CEREC is a computer assisted design tool that allows crowns and other treatments to be performed expertly and quickly onsite, which saves the patient from having to come back for multiple appointments.

Q: Do you offer bleaching?

A: We offer in-office bleaching using the Pola system. A take-home option is also available.

Q: Do you offer Invisalign?

A: Yes, we provide Invisalign products and treatments as an alternative to traditional braces.

Q: Why don’t you use amalgam fillings?

A: Our doctor, Lovely C. Manlapaz, decided to be an amalgam-free office because of the advanced results from using composites and the potential risks of using traditional amalgam.